


Consequences

by MissNMikaelson



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Smut, Human Elena Gilbert, Hurt/Comfort, Klena - Freeform, Protective Klaus Mikaelson, klaulena, klausxelena
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-06-24 04:06:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 59,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15622167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissNMikaelson/pseuds/MissNMikaelson
Summary: What do you do when your old frenemy threatens to cut off your army at the source?Obviously you abscond with the doppelganger in the dead of night, but every action has consequences.My first KLENA/KLAULENA storyIt has been a year since the sacrifice. Klaus and Elena came to an agreement that she would live a protected human life in exchange for her blood. Tensions are rising though because of his hybrids. The Salvatores do not want Elena to be under Klaus' thumb, and they want the hybrids gone. Elena has broken up with Stefan in this story, and she and Damon were never a thing. There is no Hayley story line. Esther never woke up and the Originals kind of broke apart after being roused from slumber. I'm planning on bringing in the other Originals at some point.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> As anyone who has read my fanfictions know I am a die hard ELEJAH writer. This story will be different. Somebody left a guest review asking for Klaus and Elena... and then the plot bunnies came to me. I've never written for them before so this should be a fun experience.

Her arm stretched up and adjusted the pillow under her head when she rolled over. An alarm rang in the back of her mind.

Something wasn't right.

She was lying on her right side in the bed. The bed… historically speaking it was a very stationary object. The steadiest piece of furniture one could lay down on. Unless it was being shared with a partner the mattress didn't move. So why was she shifting? Why was her body vibrating?

She had the strangest sense of moving while lying completely still. It was extremely disconcerting.

She thought that maybe if she opened her eyes and saw herself in the space it would stop the strange sense of vertigo.

The alarm only intensified when her doe eyes peered blearily at the walls. Her bedroom didn't have a sloping wall. Her bedding was not white and gold, and her mattress was definitely not this soft.

Her breath shook as she climbed out of the bed and ran her hands back through her hair. The floor vibrated beneath her bare feet. She quickly located her sneakers at the foot of the sleigh bed and shoved them on.

Her heart thudded in her chest when she stumbled to the door. The smooth maple wood swung open to reveal the interior of, what could only be a private plane.

How did she get on a private plane? The last thing she could remember was leaving the boarding house. Stefan and Damon had been insistent that she stay there with them where they could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. She'd adamantly refused. They had grown insufferable over the course of the year. She had thought it would get better after breaking up with Stefan, but that had only seemed to make things worse. Just because they weren't together didn't mean that he would leave her alone. He and his brother, who was still trying to woo her, had grown increasingly overprotective; they had gone so far as to antagonize Klaus whenever he came for her blood.

That had been the arrangement. Klaus let her live her life in exchange for a monthly blood withdrawal. It was a fair deal; he had even promised to protect her and her children.

Elena had never wanted to be a vampire. She'd told Stefan and Damon that countless times, but they still insisted that she turn. She'd actually been considering going to Klaus for help; he wanted her human, and she was starting to fear Damon might sneak into her house and turn her in the dead of night. He always said he wouldn't, but Damon was known to be impulsive.

Klaus might have been a psychotic killer, but at least he wanted her alive. At least he would have respected her desire to live as a human being.

Klaus also happened to be on the far end of the plane. He sat in a comfortable white leather seat, which could only be described as an armchair, with a newspaper in his lap and a steaming mug of coffee on the table.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he glanced up at her before returning to the paper, "I didn't think you'd ever wake up."

Elena slowly made her way closer. She paused when she reached the chair across from him and gripped the back of it.

"Klaus," her heart thumped, "where are we?"

"About 45,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean," he turned the page nonchalantly.

"Okay…" Elena felt her annoyance flare. "Next question: what are doing 45,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean?"

"I should have thought that was fairly obvious," his full lips lifted into a smirk. "We are flying, love."

Elena knew her grin was strained when she bobbed her head. She held up a finger and fought down the frustrated scream. He was far too cocky for his own good, but then again, when one was the most powerful vampire on the planet one could afford to be cocky.

"Does anyone know where I am?"

"Of course, love," Klaus tilted his head and ran his eyes over her rumpled clothes and mussed hair, "you know where you are, and I know where you are."

"Hilarious," her knees turned to water under his intense gaze. She melted into the chair and felt a flush rise in her cheeks when he stared at her a moment longer than necessary. "Would I be correct in assuming you've kidnapped me?"

"Don't be ridiculous Elena," he chuckled. "You're 19 now. Technically I abducted you."

"Klaus!"

"You're body guards were getting on my nerves," he shrugged. "After what happened the other night I would think you would be glad of a little space from them."

"What are you talking about?" She leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees. She flushed again when his eyes dropped to her rumbling stomach. She blinked when he disappeared.

"You don't remember?" He placed a steaming mug in front of her beside a blueberry muffin. "I'd have thought it would be hard to forget your ex-boyfriend force feeding you his blood and threatening to drive you off the bridge."

Elena's eyes widened. She choked on the bite of muffin and washed it down with a swig of coffee. Slowly the memory came back to her: Stefan, blood, and Wickery Bridge.

"He wanted you to get rid of your hybrids," she whispered. "Your solution was to kidnap me?"

"Abduct," Klaus corrected with a raised finger. "Although I much prefer the term liberate."

"You stole me away from my home, Klaus," she glared, "from my family, my friends. They'll come after me."

"They'll never find you," he shook his head. "And they are unlikely to look since they are under the impression you ran away." He jerked his thumb towards the seats across from them.

Elena sighed when she saw her journal poking out of the top of one of the bags.

"It certainly helped that I made you disappear first before taking off in a fit of rage." He paused and took her shoulder. "You should see this as an opportunity Elena. You're young and free and off to see the world."

"How do you know I won't run the second we hit the ground?" She glared.

"Because," his eyes sparkled with amusement, "you're not stupid, and secretly you're glad to be free of Mystic Falls."

* * *

Klaus caught her wrist and threaded his fingers through hers so it looked like they were strolling through the airport. Little jolts traveled up her arm where their skin touched.

"Are you going to tell me where we are?" Elena cleared her throat. Her breath caught when his thumb brushed over her knuckles.

"Why would I do that love? It would only make it easier for you to run," Klaus stroked her skin subconsciously and led her outside to the waiting car. Opening the car door he waited for her to sit.

"How about I make you a deal?" Elena braced one hand on the door and her elbow on the roof of the car. She swallowed when he mirrored her stance and boxed her in.

"Do I look like my brother, sweetheart?"

Elena tilted her head and considered him. "No," she smirked, "must be too much of your father in you. You do look like your sister though."

"Very cute," his grin turned slightly feral.

"You don't have to look like someone to be like them," Elena pointed out, "and vice versa. How about that deal? It would make both of our lives much easier."

"I'm listening, love," he straightened one of her fly away curls. His fingers brushed over her ear.

Elena shivered. "I won't run on one condition," she subconsciously leaned forward when he nodded for her to continue. "I can call my brother once a week to check in, it's what I'd do if I really did run. I won't tell him where I am… I'd have to know where I was for that."

"You won't run?" He blinked in surprise when her heart was steady. "Why not? I honestly thought I'd have to lock you away for the next decade."

"Because," she turned and slid into the car, "I'm kind of glad to be free of Mystic Falls."

Klaus shut her door and walked around. He started the car and tapped the steering wheel for a moment before nodding.

"In the interest of harmony," he turned to face her, "I'll agree to those terms, but…"

"There's always a 'but'," Elena sighed. She buckled her seatbelt and crossed her arms.

"The calls will be made from a burner phone, and I will be present for them," he arched an eyebrow in challenge, "just to make sure you don't say something you shouldn't… and your brother is the only one you call."

Elena's rich chocolate eyes flickered over his face for a moment before she nodded once. "We've got a deal… now… um… where are we?"

"See if you can guess," he chuckled and threw the car in drive.

"Somewhere in Europe," Elena peered through the windshield at the signs directing them out of the airport. She recognized English and French but there were several other languages that were completely foreign to her.

"You're definitely on the right track," he glanced at her face as he turned on to the highway.

Roughly a half hour later Elena's eyes grew round as she took in the sparkling water along the right side of the vehicle. She cast him an inquisitive look when he drove the car onto the ferry.

Elena leaned over the rail when they were above deck and watched the receding coastline. It was dazzling. The clear turquoise water and the white sands reflected the light. Glancing over her shoulder she saw several small islands on the horizon.

"Greece," Elena nodded decisively.

"We are in Greece," Klaus smirked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Three weeks.

It had been three weeks since Klaus had 'liberated' her from Mystic Falls. It had been three weeks since they had arrived at the house in Mykonos. Three weeks had been spent soaking up the sun.

If someone had asked her a year ago she would have said they were delusional. She would have laughed in their faces if they'd suggested she was attracted to the hybrid. He was psychotic. He was a killer. He was obsessed with power.

A lot had changed during their short time together. Elena blamed it on being in close proximity to him and only him for so long. She'd come to find he was a decent person; at least when they were alone.

She was starting to understand why his siblings had stuck with him for so long; the bond of family was only worth so much. She had seen flashes of kindness here and there.

He was also nice to look at. Greece provided many opportunities for her to stare at a shirtless Klaus; it had quickly become one of her favorite sites.

She swatted at his hand when he shook her shoulder.

"Come on, love," Klaus chuckled, "you're starting to burn."

"I am not," she opened her eyes and peered at him through her yellow sunglasses. Even as she said it she knew he was right. Her skin was starting to feel overly hot; she was minutes away from the beginning of a bad burn.

With a heavy sigh she sat up and reached for the lotion under the pool chair. She could feel his eyes on her as she rolled onto her stomach.

"Get my back?" She lifted the bottle. When the edge of the pool chair shifted she moved her hair over her shoulder and pulled the strings so her back was completely exposed to his heavy gaze.

A shiver raced down her spine when the cool lotion hit her back. She felt him draw a long line down the centre of her back before he set the bottle down and began rubbing the smooth cream into her skin.

She knew the cream was rubbed in and that there was no longer a need for his hands to be massaging her shoulders. Her teeth sank into her lip when his fingers trailed down her spine and kneaded her lower back.

She bit back a moan and lifted her sunglasses so she could glare at him from the corner of her eyes. Her hands snaked around and retied the strings of her black bikini.

"Mind your hands," she smirked. Rolling back over she gasped when he poured the lotion on her stomach.

"Don't worry, love," he winked while running a finger through the lotion and drawing a circle around her belly button. "I'm very mindful of my hands."

Her abdomen quivered under his fingertip. She saw his eyes flicker over her face when she lifted her hand and tapped his wrist.

"I think I can handle this part on my own," she gave him a pointed look.

Klaus climbed to his feet with a wolfish grin and backed away. Elena felt his eyes following the motion of her hands as she spread the lotion over her flat stomach and the tops of her breasts.

Elena shrieked when he jumped in the pool and the water splashed over her legs.

"Klaus," she hopped to her feet and bent over the edge of the pool to glare at him. Her eyes widened when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down.

The water crashed over her head. She caught her sunglasses when she came up gasping for breath and glared at him.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart," he laughed and resisted the urge to push her hair from her face. "It's refreshing."

Elena recognized the mistake before she made it, but that didn't stop her from splashing him. Her body cut through the water in an attempt to escape when he swam after her.

* * *

She looked up from her book when he dropped a small black phone into her lap.

"And here I thought we were getting a nice routine down with the Friday night phone calls," Elena picked up the mobile. The number had already been entered so all she had to do was press the green button to send the call.

"Therein lies the problem," Klaus dropped onto the couch and smirked. "You can't have a routine if you're on the run. You've got to check in when you can."

"So it's a day early this week?" She shook her head and lifted the phone to her ear.

* * *

"Is there a reason you're here?" Jeremy glared over the book.

"Your sister is missing," Damon spoke slowly. "You'd think you'd care more about that."

"Elena decided to get out of Mystic Falls," Jeremy returned to his reading, "I can hardly blame her for that. This town's taken just about everything from her."

"She's your sister," Damon pulled the book from Jeremy's hands, "and you don't seem to give a rat's ass about her safety."

"I care, Damon," he leaned back and crossed his arms. "As long as she is safe I'm happy, and she checks in at least once a week to tell me she's safe."

Jeremy reached for the house phone when it started to ring. He frowned when he didn't recognize the number.

"Hello."

_"Hey, Jer."_

"Elena," his frown turned to a grin, "still alive I see… or hear."

_"Yeah, I'm alive and well."_

"You finally going to tell me where you are?" Jeremy swatted Damon's hand away and glared at the vampire.  _I've really got to ask Bonnie about rescinding an invitation._

_"Ah, Jer… you know I can't do that,"_ she laughed,  _"I don't want an Original showing up and compelling the information from you."_

There was a soft thud and a muffled laugh.

"You know," Jeremy reclaimed his book and put it on the table, "there's this newfangled thing called Skype. We might try that someday."

_"Maybe."_

Before Jeremy could reply the phone was ripped from his hand.

"Where the hell are you?" Damon snapped.

_"Damon?"_

"Who else? Where are you Elena? Tell me so I can come and get you," he held Jeremy back with one arm and ignored his protests and demands for the phone.

_"I'm not telling you that, Damon. One of the main reasons I left was to get away from you and your brother."_

"Strange I thought it was to outrun a hybrid," Damon drawled. "Klaus is long gone, Elena. It's more than safe for you to come home."

_"Safe? Safe! Stefan tried to kill me three weeks ago, Damon. He threatened to drive me off the bridge."_

"You wouldn't have died," he reasoned, "you would have transitioned. Stefan wouldn't actually kill you."

_"I don't want to be a vampire Damon. I never wanted to be a vampire. Now put my brother back on. The only reason I called was to talk to him."_

"You can't get what you want from us so you ran?" Damon scoffed. "You were just using Stefan and I for your own games. You just decide you want something else and take off. You're like a mini Katherine: Katherine 2.0."

There was a small choking sound before the call cut off.

* * *

"Always knew Damon had no tact," Klaus tossed the burner across the room.

Elena stared at the black phone. It had collided with the wall and shattered.

"Katherine?" She muttered darkly. "Am I like Katherine?"

Klaus returned to the couch and pressed a glass into her hand.

"Scotch?" She read the label of the bottle on the coffee table.

"Would you prefer something weaker?" He downed half of his own glass and smirked.

"No," she grimaced at the burn and downed the entire glass, "this is helping."

"Maybe try savouring it," Klaus suggested.

"Maybe I want to get black-out drunk," she quipped, "and forget that there is someone else in the world with my face."

"Elena," he dutifully poured her another glass, "if I let you get that drunk you'll be in real danger of dying from alcohol poisoning. Slow down, love."

She rolled her eyes, but listened. It was definitely better when drunk slowly. Elena waited until she was halfway through the glass to turn back to Klaus. She blushed when she realized he had been staring at her.

"Am I like Katherine?" She cursed when the vulnerability leaked through her voice. To cover it she closed her eyes and downed the rest of the drink; a pleasant burn settled in her stomach. She had a feeling the scotch was only partially to blame for it.

"Are you actually looking for an answer?" Klaus met her dark eyes. He lifted the bottle out of her reach before she could pour herself another glass.

"I'm guessing by the lack of one," Elena flopped back, "that you were going to say yes." Her knee brushed against his.

"On the contrary," he set his glass aside, "I didn't think it required an answer because it was obvious."

"That I am just like Katherine?" She grimaced.

"That you're not," Klaus frowned. "Katerina spent 500 years running with little to no regard for anyone but herself. From what Elijah told me you were willing to die to keep your loved ones safe. Unlike Katerina Petrova you lack a sense of self-preservation."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Elena couldn't stop the cynical laugh.

"Well," Klaus tilted his head, "it was a nice thing for me." He chuckled when she smiled. "If you were anything like Katerina you would have actually fled Mystic Falls a long time ago instead of being abducted."

Elena tilted her head and smirked. "I thought we were going with the term liberated."

He leaned forward and laughed. "I hadn't realized you'd gotten on board with that term."

"What can I say?" Elena shrugged. "Perhaps the heat has gotten to my head."

"Suffering from heatstroke, sweetheart?" He cocked an eyebrow and ran his eyes over her tanned skin. Lifting one hand to her brow he frowned. "I don't think that's it," he met her lidded eyes with a smoldering gaze. "You're as cool as a cucumber."

"Really?" Her smile turned sultry. "Then why do I feel so warm?"

"Could be the sc…" His eyes widened when he was cut off by her soft lips. It took him a moment to respond when he did it was to grasp the back of her neck and hold her steady while ravishing her mouth.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop me a review and let me know what you think of my Klaulena/Klena story.  
> The next chapter picks up immediately after this one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> SMUT warning... literally this chapter is mainly just the smut.

Elena hadn't been lying when she said she was warm. The heat in her belly blazed under his furious kiss and firm hands.

Klaus broke contact with her lips and stared into her dark eyes.

Elena smirked wickedly. It was 75% the knowledge Klaus needed her alive that gave her the courage to push him back and straddle his hips. The other 25% was blamed on the two glasses of scotch.

Her lips crashed to his in a hard kiss that cut off her breath and made her head swim. She only pulled back to tear his Henley over his head. Her hands explored his back and abdomen.

Elena's eyes widened when a sharp ripping sound reached her ears.

"Hey," she gasped, "I liked that top." She shivered when the ruined fabric was pushed down her arms.

"I'll replace it," he nipped at her throat.

Elena thought about protesting but there was something erotic about her clothes literally being torn off. If she'd had the strength she might have returned the favor. She wasn't sure at what point he had done it; all she knew was when her back was pressed to the wall her bra was gone.

Klaus licked and nipped his way down her throat and bit her nipple. The wanton moan reached his ears when he rocked his hips up between her thighs.

Elena's nails raked down his back, if he had been human there would have definitely been marks left behind. She snaked one hand between their undulating bodies and struggled to pop the button on his jeans; it took her a moment but when she managed it she slid her hand into his pants and squeezed his hard cock.

He growled and flashed up the stairs.

Elena gasped when he pushed her back onto the bed and ripped her shorts and underwear down her legs.

He took a moment to stare at her naked body. The Greek sun had bronzed her skin beautifully. He wondered idly when she had lain out topless and how he'd managed to miss the experience.

Elena tugged her bottom lip between her teeth and moaned under the heated assault of his tongue and teeth.

He left a fiery trail down her torso before settling between her thighs and lapping at her wet folds. He seemed to push her to the edge of her orgasm in very little time with just the right amount of pressure on her clit.

Her back arched off the bed when he thrust two fingers inside. She moaned and ground her hips down against his hand. She should have been more surprised when his teeth punctured the femoral artery in her thigh but she wasn't. She had never thought of being bitten and fed on during sex as particularly erotic, but it seemed to be the very thing that pushed her over the edge.

She cried out sharply as her body trembled with the force of her orgasm. She panted as she came down and groaned into his mouth when he kissed her roughly. Her eyes narrowed at the combined taste that was her: blood and juices. A gasp escaped her lips when he buried himself in her wet pussy.

Wrapping her left leg around his waist she flipped them over.

"Fuck... Klaus," she tossed her head back and ground her hips in a circular motion. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so full.

"Ever taken a cock this big, sweetheart?" He growled. His hands splayed over her hips to guide her up and down.

She shook her head and braced her hands on his chest. She couldn't stop the wanton moans and soft curses that fell from her lips. She rode him until her thighs trembled and she came screaming his name.

He had her on her back before her orgasm subsided.

She should have known Klaus would not be gentle and sweet; it wasn't in his nature. Luckily fast and rough was exactly what she needed right then.

She grasped her ankles when he lifted her legs and held them over her head while he fucked her hard. Pressure built low in her belly; it coiled tightly and quickly became unbearable.

She groaned and glared up at him when he smirked. She knew that he knew exactly what she needed to push her over the edge; she also knew that he was delighting in keeping her on the edge.

The real question was which he would respond to: begging or demands. She decided to try the former.

"Klaus," her voice came out in a breathy sigh, "please…" she probably couldn't have made a demand if she'd wanted to.

"Please what, love?" His eyes flashed with amusement.

"Please…" she moaned, "… please make me cum… please… fuck me harder... please..."

"Oh sweetheart," he leaned forward and brought his right hand down to flick her clit, "all you had to do was ask."

His hips snapped faster against her. All Elena could hear over her moans was the wet sound of him moving in and out of her dripping cunt. It was less than a minute under the ministration of his thumb on her clit before she fell over the edge while moaning his name.

Out of instinct her hands and knees came down to support her weight when he flipped her over. She grunted when he thrust into her and moved back against him. She managed to keep up with him for several minutes before he began thrusting into her at a speed too fast to be considered human.

His fist curled in her hair and pulled her back against his chest while he continued to thrust into her from behind. His mouth moved up and down her neck lavishing her with rough kisses and bites with blunt teeth.

She could do nothing but moan his name. Elena couldn't remember the last time someone had been this rough with her; she loved every minute of it.

She tilted her head and grasped the back of his neck with her hand. Elena pressed him closer when she felt the fangs graze her skin.

Klaus growled and felt the shiver race down her spine when he bit down and tasted the rich copper of her blood. He groaned at the exquisite flavor; her lust made her blood hot and sweet. He felt her fall apart in his arms and withdrew his fangs before he could take too much.

Elena fell forwards and attempted to hold herself up but her arms shook under her weight. She slid down instead and basked in the sensation of her fourth orgasm with her cheek pressed against the pillow. Her vision faded around the edges before going completely black.

Klaus grunted and spilled inside of her before pulling out and lying down. The steady beating of her heart told him she was perfectly fine but he still rolled her onto her back and, with more gentleness than he knew he possessed, shook her awake.

"What?" She peered up at him blearily.

He chuckled at the sated expression on her face. He couldn't recall Elena Gilbert ever looking that relaxed; apparently all she had needed was a good shagging.

He bit into his wrist and pressed it to her lips.

Elena sighed before dutifully swallowing a small mouthful of blood. His voice was the last thing she heard before slipping into dreams.

"Go back to sleep, sweetheart."

* * *

When her eyes opened she was surprised to find herself still in his bed. She was even more surprised to feel his arm draped over her waist and his bare chest pressed against her smooth back.

Elena rolled over and propped herself on her elbows. She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes when she found him giving her a very suggestive look.

"We… umm…" she tucked her hair behind her ear, "we probably shouldn't have done that."

"Regretting sleeping with me already, love?" Klaus sat up and smirked. "I thought you'd make it till noon at least. Were you just using me for my body?"

"Of course," she quipped.

"I can't believe you would take advantage of a man who had been drinking," he gasped dramatically, "and then immediately regret it."

"Okay, firstly you're like a thousand years old; there is no way you were drunk on two glasses of scotch. Secondly, I didn't say I regretted it," she sat up and held the sheet to her chest. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "It's just probably a bad idea to do that again."

She flopped back and placed the pillow over her head to stifle her annoyed groan.

"What's wrong, love?" He lifted the pillow and met her mortified gaze.

"Nothing," she sighed. "I just realized that everyone I've slept with in the past two years slept with one of my doppelgangers first."

"Now that is just inaccurate," he tossed the pillow aside and smiled when she sat up. "I was never intimate with Tatia; it was a different time. Although, i did steal a kiss or two... many to count."

"How exactly do you want to precede, Elena?" His blue eyes flickered over her somber face.

He knew she was right about it not happening again. He had very specific plans for Elena Gilbert that did not involve his bed, a human being's bed yes but not his; although he would not have been opposed to a repeat performance at some point in time.

He would not have been opposed to keeping her there permanently if not for the need to see her bloodline continue. Over the past three weeks he had come to see why the Salvatores had fought for her affections for so long.

"We go back to normal," she pushed back her hair again and tried not to let her eyes slide down his chest. She swallowed when she glanced down and saw the tent in the sheet. "The second my feet hit the floor this," she motioned to the two of them with her index finger, "never happened."

"If that is what you want, sweetheart," he nodded.

"It is," she nodded. Her hand settled on his chest and pushed him back against the mattress.

"What are you doing?" He growled when her small hand wrapped around him.

"My feet haven't hit the floor yet," her tongue ran up the underside of his shaft, "and it would be very rude of me to leave you like this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have a time jump as well as the arrival of another Original... I haven't settled on which one yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> Little update: I've got some time scheduled with the fam this weekend... It actually started last night that's why there was no update yesterday. I'll still be doing some writing I just don't know how many stories will get updated until Monday... It could be that none do and then five are done at once :) We'll see.  
> Anyway here is the next chapter. I did not intend to put any smut in here when I started out, but it happened. It's beneath the first line break for those of you that don't like to read that stuff.

Klaus blinked and tilted his head. A small line appeared between his eyebrows when he reached into the freezer and pulled out a glass.

Elena came up behind him and took the glass from his hand. She popped a piece of frozen chocolate into her mouth and narrowed her eyes when she found him staring at her.

"Wh…?" She mumbled around the swiftly melting treat.

"Why, exactly, did you freeze chocolate, sweetheart?" He tapped the frozen glass; condensation was starting to gather on the smooth cup.

"Because… it's delicious," Elena shrugged and popped another piece into her mouth.

"We have been in Greece for six weeks," he smirked, "and I have never seen you eat frozen chocolate."

"Should have seen me yesterday," Elena snickered, "I was chewing ice," she pointed an accusing finger at him, "Don't look at me like that; it was delicious. By the way, we are out of ice."

"And just when I had a craving for a margarita," Klaus shook his head. He found it difficult to hold his affronted expression when she was grinning like that.

"If you're desperate there are two options," Elena held up her fingers. "You can make ice and wait, or go out and get some."

"Option three would be to use the chocolate," he smirked, "after all it is frozen. Probably a bad idea though chocolate and lime really don't mix…"

"I don't know," Elena spun on her heel, "sounds intriguing," she glanced back over her shoulder, "but I'm not sharing my chocolate so too bad."

Elena giggled when she rounded the corner. Her smile dropped when she stepped into the large foyer.

"Does that rule only apply to Nik, darling?" His arms were crossed over his chest where he leaned against the wall.

Elena stared at him. The frozen chocolate in her mouth warmed on her tongue while she studied him. Her eyes darted to his hand when he reached out and stole a piece of chocolate from the cup.

"Not bad," he nodded his head from side to side, "a little cold for my taste," he licked his lips, "but the chocolate is delicious."

"Kol," Klaus came up behind Elena. He crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Kol's eyes narrowed. His sparkling gaze cut from Elena to his brother.

"This is the up and coming party spot," he inclined his head slightly, "I thought I'd come and check it out. I didn't know you'd be here."

Elena swallowed when his blazing eyes landed on her again.

"I certainly was not expecting to find you playing house with the runaway doppelganger," Kol's mouth twitched. "I see he's caught up to you darling."

"Caught up…?" Elena tilted her head in confusion.

"You did run," Kol's brows lowered, "did you not? I was expecting you to last a little bit longer than two months."

"I didn't run," she shook her head.

"Nik kidnapped you then?" Kol snagged another piece of chocolate.

"Technically the term is abducted," Elena pulled her glass out of his reach, "and I chose to stay."

"Well then," Kol slung an arm around her shoulders, "since you're not being held captive how about joining me this evening for a night on the town? I'm assuming Nik has been less than hospitable and kept you inside for the most part."

Elena wanted to deny it but when she stopped to think about it she realized she hadn't really left the villa. That was hardly Klaus' fault though. She suspected he would have willingly let her go anywhere so long as he was with her; she just hadn't felt the desire to go anywhere. It had been six weeks of lounging by the pool, writing, and raiding the library which she assumed was maintained by Elijah; Klaus had shown an interest in reading, but he was not the type to stock the library with new books.

Once a week she called her brother. More than once a week she considered the idea of tiptoeing from her bed down the hall to his; of pushing him onto the mattress and fucking him senseless as he had done to her. She wondered how long that would take with his unending stamina. She had thought of dropping to her knees in the kitchen, but then he had spotted the chocolate and the sweet delicacy had called to her.

Aside from her sexual frustration it had been extremely relaxing; just what she had needed after the drama of Mystic Falls, but now that the thought of going out had been brought up she found she kind of wanted to. It might be fun.

"What do you say, love?" Kol tilted his head to meet her eyes. "Up for a night out? We can paint the town red."

Elena pressed her lips into a stern line and arched an eyebrow. Her chocolate brown eyes flashed with a warning.

"Figuratively speaking, darling," he held up his hand in surrender. "I'll be on my best behaviour."

"Kol," Klaus shook his head. His eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Awe come on, Nik," Kol gave him his best pleading look. He had perfected it over the centuries; it was the same one he had used as a child to con his older brothers into doing whatever he wanted. That look had gotten Elijah to take him to see his first werewolf. "She wants to go out."

Klaus turned to Elena who had shrugged one shoulder before slipping from under Kol's arm.

"It could be fun," she chewed her lip.

"You don't have to go," Kol smirked. "I know it's not really your thing. She'll be perfectly fine with me for the evening." He gave Elena a suggestive wink. "I promise you'll have the time of your life, darling."

"Kol," Klaus growled low enough so that Elena wouldn't hear. He didn't know why the thought of Kol and Elena upset him so much.

Kol smirked at the hard look in his older brother's eyes.

"If anything happens to her I'll put you in box for the next millennium," Klaus warned.

Elena blinked in surprise. She had kind of been expecting him to go postal and refuse to let her out of the house. She glared when he plucked the dish of chocolate from her hand and flashed back to the kitchen.

"Hey," she yelled, "I was eating that."

* * *

She examined the effect in the full length mirror.

From the front the romper resembled a white sundress with a silver belt. She nodded to herself before pulling her hair into a high ponytail and slipped into her white three inch heels. She spun so her back was to the mirror and watched over her shoulder as she tried to fit the zipper into place.

She huffed and stomped her foot when she found the task impossible. The last time she had worn the outfit was to Caroline's graduation party the week before she had left with Klaus; she had needed Caroline's help to fasten the back then.

"May I be of assistance?"

Elena lifted her eyes to find Klaus leaning against her bedroom door.

His gaze lingered on her long legs; the tan contrasted beautifully with the snow white jumpsuit. She bit her lip before turning slowly and exposing her bare back.

The door clicked shut.

Elena knew he had used vampire speed when his hands settled on her shoulders before she had even finished turning around. She inhaled when his fingers ghosted over her arms and slid the straps down her arms.

"Klaus," she applauded herself when her voice was level. She could tell by the way his eyes glittered in the mirror that her heart was not.

"Yes, love?" He pinned her arms to her sides with the straps of the romper.

Elena gasped when his hands slid back up her arms and around to splay across her ribs. Heat pooled low in her abdomen.

He smirked and nipped at her ear while his fingers kneaded her breasts. He ran his nails lightly around her areolas and flicked her hard nipples.

"Bad idea," she warned breathlessly. Her hips rocked back against his erection.

"Perhaps," he unsnapped her belt and bit her neck hard enough to leave a mark. He soothed the skin with his tongue. "Should I stop?" His hand paused beneath the waist band of her lace thong.

She glared at him in the mirror when he started pulling his hand back up her toned stomach. "Don't you dare," she hissed. He had gotten her worked up and she was not about to let him leave her wanting.

Her eyes widened when he spun her around and pinned her shoulders to the wall of her walk in closet. She knew that lust must have glittered in her eyes.

Klaus wasn't sure what was driving his actions in that moment. He had wanted a repeat performance of some kind, but he had been refraining because that was what she had said. He knew she had wanted it as well, but he had been determined to let her come to him. The combined scent of her near constant arousal and the intoxicating smell of her blood, which had doubled over the past week, had him changing his mind.

Kol's obvious interest might have had something to do with it as well. If he was going to let her go out with his brother he would make sure she smelled like him the entire time; if he happened to leave a hickey or two then all the better.

He smirked down into her dark eyes. Her moan sent a throb of desire straight to his cock. He forced his hand down the front of her romper and roughly circled her clit; he had intended to start out slow but when he found her wet and ready he pushed harder. His fingers vibrated against the sensitive nub fast enough that her orgasm crashed over her.

The small flood of moisture was enough for him to shove three fingers into her dripping center.

Elena clamped down on the digits and moaned when he crooked them and massaged her walls quickly. She opened her eyes and bit down on her cheek to keep from screaming his name when he brought the second orgasm through her. She knew Kol must have been able to hear her moans though when his palm pressed against her clit and drew out the pleasure.

She felt the juices clinging to her inner thighs.

He removed his hand and righted her thong.

"Delicious," he smirked around the finger he popped into his mouth.

Elena, who had been working the romper back up her arms, lifted her hand to the back of his neck and pressed her lips to his in a hard kiss. She moaned when she tasted her juices clinging to his lip.

Pulling away she gave him a playful smile before turning around and repositioning the front of the romper. She smirked at him over her shoulder and grinned when the zipper was slowly pulled up.

She turned back around and settled her hands on his chest. Elena kissed him and walked him back until he collided with the wall by her window and her hands fell to his belt.

She dropped to her knees and pulled his cock free from the confines of his boxers and jeans.

Elena looked up and met his lidded eyes. Her tongue swept up the underside of his shaft and caught the pre-cum on his tip. Opening her mouth wide she slid her plump red lips over his hot throbbing erection. Moaning enthusiastically she started bobbing her head up and down.

"Fuck," Klaus cursed. He wrapped her ponytail around his hand and forced her head down further.

Elena relaxed and took him into her throat. When his entire length was buried in her throat she blinked up at him innocently and swallowed around him.

He groaned. Klaus had to remind himself that she was human and would be seriously injured it he were to follow his instincts and fuck her pretty face. He loosened his hold on her hair to let her take control and grasped her nightstand.

He was pretty sure he heard the wood snap beneath his hand when he exploded in her mouth ten minutes later.

Elena stood up and brushed the dust from her knees. She smiled against his lips when he held her neck and kissed her roughly.

"I have to go," she extracted herself from his arms reluctantly. Bending at the waist she snatched up her belt and slapped his hands when they settled on her ass. "Klaus…" she warned, "… Kol's probably rolling his eyes in the foyer right now."

"He's more likely to be wondering what's keeping you," he grinned. "I had a witch spell the rooms in the house so vampires can't hear what is happening so long as the doors remain shut."

"I'm sensing a story there," she fastened her belt and picked up her clutch.

"I would rather not be reminded of the last time I was here with Rebekah," he shook his head and shuddered.

Klaus caught her wrist when they met Kol at the bottom of the stairs. He pressed a slim vial into her hand.

"What's this?" Elena lifted it to inspect the greenish contents.

"Vervain," Klaus gave his brother a pointed look. "I trust Kol as far as I could throw him."

"You're a thousand year old hybrid," Elena sighed and pulled the cork, "you could probably throw him pretty far."

"She's got a point," Kol chuckled. He glanced at the vial when she lifted it to her lips.

"Fine," Klaus held up his hands, "I don't trust you as far as she could throw you."

"Better," Elena downed the medicine and passed Klaus the bottle. "Happy now?" Her stomach shifted.

"Ecstatic," Klaus grinned. He turned his gaze to Kol, "I meant it Kol. Anything happens to her and I'll put you back in the box."

* * *

Ten minutes later she was mildly surprised when Kol opened her car door for her when they reached the club. She had not been expecting him to be a gentleman.

He had Elijah's looks and Klaus' attitude. He was like a mix of his brothers and that made him more dangerous than either; Kol was unpredictable.

"Are you alright?" He tilted his head and ran his eyes over her suddenly pale face.

Elena nodded and swallowed.

Elena slung the strap of her small white bag across her body and followed him inside. Her eyes grew round when Kol took her arm and steadied her when she teetered on her heels.

"Thanks," she mumbled. They had barely stepped into the building when it happened. Her stomach heaved. She knew she would never make it to a bathroom she didn't know the location of.

Elena could make out the snickers of the revelers.

Kol held back her hair and rubbed circles between her shoulder blades. The moment she stopped throwing up into the fern he pulled her back outside into the warm night air.

"I really hate it when people lie to me," he shook his head. Kol pressed the back of his hand to her warm brow. "You've definitely got something."

"I was fine when we left the house," Elena murmured. Sweat lined her brow and she knew her breath had to be foul.

"Indeed," Kol looked into her bright eyes. "I'm going to make an executive decision and say that clubbing is out."

"I c-can…" she couldn't finish the thought.

"You," he stared down into her fevered gaze, "can take a nap and know that when you wake up you'll feel much better."

Elena felt her eyelids drop. She was sound asleep before he had finished talking.

* * *

Something wasn't right.

It took her a moment to place what it was. Her stomach quivered and her body shook, but it was the subtle vibrations of the water on the unfamiliar bedside table that clued her in.

The room was moving and that movement was not helping her stomach.

She sat up slowly and reached for the bottle of water before dropping it. It probably wasn't a good idea to drink that when she didn't know where it had come from.

Elena blinked tiredly and slowly took in the room. She was propped against the pillows on a soft queen sized bed. Wall sconces provided a soft light and illuminated the black leather couch and sloping walls that led upwards to a mirror the length of the bed.

She swallowed and carefully stood up. Aside from her headache and shaking stomach she felt alright; she suspected she would feel better if she ate something. It certainly didn't feel like she was going to throw up… again.

Picking up the yoga pants and t-shirt she struggled to remember how she had gotten on the plane. She didn't remember Klaus saying they were going somewhere. The last thing she remembered was going out with Kol.

Slipping into the more comfortable clothes she was struck with the knowledge that they were not hers. The clothes on her body were brand new; she had to pull off the tags before sliding on a pair of flip flops.

Elena swallowed again and took a deep breath to quail the storm rising in her belly. Who was she going to find on the other side of the door?

She supposed there was always the chance that Klaus had made the hasty decision to leave and simply grabbed her new clothes because he hadn't had a chance to pack. The thing that made her heart pound in her chest was the fact that she couldn't remember returning to the villa.

Elena chose the slow approach. She knew in her heart that she had no hope of ever sneaking up on a vampire, but she figured it would have been worse to barge out and demand answers.

Pulling open the door she blinked in surprise when it was neither Klaus nor Kol sitting on the other end of the plane.

She breathed a shaky sigh of relief even as her anxiety swirled around her body.

She wondered idly just how many private planes the Original's owned, or if they just chartered them whenever they wanted to fly somewhere.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is it? 0_o  
> What do you think?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Elijah's eyes glanced up from the newspaper in his lap when the door opened. He had been occupied getting them in the air before Klaus could realize what had happened; so busy had he been that he had only caught the briefest glimpse of her before Kol moved passed him and laid her in the bed at the back of the plane.

He could tell that she was pale beneath the tan. Dark circles ringed her red rimmed eyes and an unnatural glow clung to her skin. He could just make out the slight tremor of her hand that she clenched into a fist at her side.

Elena took a deep breath and felt her stomach quiver. Crossing her arms over her chest she took slow steps across the plane. She didn't fear Elijah Mikaelson would harm her; Elena's hesitation was more in deference to the room that had started to sway in her vision.

She exhaled and lowered herself into a seat just in time to see him stand. Elena watched as he silently rounded a small corner and returned with a bottle of water.

"Here," he pressed it into her hand and nodded when she took a sip. "I'd drink all of that," he advised, "drinking with Kol can be lethal for a human being." Elijah watched her carefully. "I was not expecting you to wake for a few more hours at least."

Elena processed his words slowly. She knew she needed to ask him what was going on. She needed to know where she was and how she had gotten there, but in that moment it was all she could do to take slow sips of the water. She took a deep breath and attempted a longer drink only to have her internal organs shift dangerously.

Elena was vaguely aware of the hands rubbing circles between her shoulders when she rocked forward. She held a hand over her mouth and struggled to swallow the bile that rose in her throat.

"Hello, darling," Kol leaned against the door to the cockpit, "I didn't think you'd wake up for a while." He watched Elijah support her weight. "I take it you're not feeling any better?"

"She was out drinking with you," Elijah rolled his eyes; "it's going to take some time to get over that hangover."

Elena shook her head but didn't dare open her mouth. She was very grateful when she heard Kol explain.

"We didn't actually get around to the drinking. I thought I would have to get her very drunk to bring her here after Nik gave her vervain, but I got lucky."

Elijah's brows knit together when he turned to his baby brother.

"She took sick," Kol shrugged, "not ten minutes later. The vervain was gone so I compelled her to sleep and brought her to the plane."

"Had you been feeling ill, Elena?" He glanced at her while retrieving a glass.

She shook her head and slowly lifted her chin in time to see Elijah pour the water in a glass and bite into his thumb. Elena tried not to cringe when she saw the red drop fall into the water and disappear.

"Thanks," she murmured and forced herself to down the clear liquid. The relief was instantaneous as her headache vanished and her stomach settled.

Now that she wasn't preoccupied trying not to throw up she was able to focus on her captors.

"Where am I?" She leaned back and blinked tiredly. "And I swear if either one of you say a few thousand miles above the ocean I'm going to force open that emergency door and push you out."

She glared when Kol snickered and dropped into the chair beside her.

"Not in the best of moods, darling?" He caught the glass she threw at him.

"I was kidnapped and put on a plane to who knows where," she grumbled, "So no, Kol, I am not in a good mood."

Elena blinked when they hit some turbulence and her stomach shifted again. Wasn't vampire blood supposed to heal illness and injury? She swallowed her nausea and focused her eyes on the Originals.

"I didn't kidnap you," Kol teased and nudged her ribs. "The technical term is abducted, and I should have thought you'd be glad to be rid of Nik. He's not the greatest of company."

Elijah shook his head and returned to his vacated seat.

"I sent Kol after you Elena," he straightened his cuffs. "Niklaus never would have let you out of the house with me because he would have known full well that I intended to take you back home."

"What?" Elena swayed when she sat up to fast. Black spots swirled in her vision as her stomach shifted again. She was on her feet and forcing open the door to the bathroom before either vampire could stop her.

Elijah and Kol followed only to find her throwing up again.

"Shouldn't the blood have made her better?" Kol watched Elijah smooth back her hair.

Elijah nodded while lifting her slim body into his arms. He heard her heart slow as she lost consciousness and frowned at the chill he felt racing down his spine.

"It should have," he laid her on the bed again and covered her. Elijah pressed his hand to her heated brow and shook his head.

Kol paced after him as he approached the cockpit of the plane. "Have you ever seen it make someone worse?"

"No," Elijah knocked on the door. He gave quick instructions to the pilot before returning to the bedroom to keep an eye on Elena.

* * *

"Kol," Klaus felt certain he was about to snap the phone in two, "where the bloody hell are you? I was deadly serious when I said I would put you back in the box."

He hung up his phone and dialed another number.

_"Hello."_

"Sister," he attempted a smile that he knew came off as a grimace, "I don't suppose you've heard from the prodigal brother."

_"I haven't heard from you in nearly two months, and you call to ask about Kol?"_

He could hear the annoyance in her voice. "This is rather important Rebekah."

_"I haven't seen hide or hair of him in a week; he went off with Elijah somewhere."_

"Elijah…" Klaus disconnected the call before Rebekah could question the fury in his voice.

For Kol's sake Klaus prayed his brother was acting under Elijah's orders. Elijah had a soft spot for Elena Gilbert and would never let anything happen to her.

He struggled to keep his voice even when Elijah answered on the third ring of the second call.

_"Niklaus."_

He rolled his eyes. Elijah never could just say hello. "Kol has absconded with Elena. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" He didn't stop to think about her shift in title; at some point in time he had stopped referring to her in his mind as 'doppelganger'.

_"I was under the impression Elena had run from Mystic Falls," Elijah drawled. "That is the only daring escape I know of."_

Had Klaus not been so worried he might have noted the amusement in his older brother's voice. As it was he was deaf to it.

"You haven't seen her?"

_"Not recently. Now if you'll excuse me I have a pressing matter that needs to be dealt with."_

* * *

Kol listened to the voicemail and thanked his lucky stars that he was several thousand miles away from his brother and the daggers that would incapacitate him.

There was a reason he had spent nearly four hundred years on his own wandering from country to country. He had wanted to escape the constant threat of a wooden box that Klaus had always held over his head if he were to misbehave.

Shuddering he opened the text message when it came in.

**REBEKAH – Nik's looking for you. He sounded dagger happy.**

**When does he not?**

**REBEKAH – What did you do?**

**Nothing…** **J** **I just ran off with Elena.**

**REBEKAH – Please don't tell me you've fallen for the doppelbitch too.**

**I was only doing a favour for Elijah.**

**REBEKAH – Oh… so it's only Nik and Elijah who are obsessed with her; at least you've got some sense.**

* * *

When her eyes fluttered open again she found herself staring at generic white tile several feet above her head. Elena blinked shifted on the thin mattress.

She grunted in pain when her hand collided with a metal rail and sat up. Her eyes narrowed when she took in the pale walls and beeping machines. A heart monitor stood beside her in the empty hospital room.

Elena unhooked the device from her finger but left the IV in place. The once steady beeping turned to an annoying screech that brought a woman in a lab coat into the room at a run.

"Hello," Elena swallowed and attempted to give the blond a small smile, "would you be so kind as to tell me where I am?"

"You are in the hospital," the doctor carefully reattached the monitor and checked Elena's vitals. "Your friends brought you in when you fainted."

"I fainted?" Elena blinked and focused on the badge. "Dr. Mackenzie what hospital am I in? And where are my 'friends'?"

"Raigmore Hospital, Miss Gilbert," she recorded Elena's vitals, "and your friends…"

"Are right here," Elijah strode back into the room while tucking his cell phone into his pocket. "Kol had to take a call," he moved to stand beside the hospital bed and looked to the doctor. "Are the results back?"

"Yes," the woman picked up the file she had dropped when she entered the room.

"Results?" Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shot Elijah an inquisitive look.

Elena half listened as the doctor explained running her bloodwork. Her head snapped up though when Dr. Mackenzie got to the reason she had fainted.

"Come again?" Elena leaned forward and focused on Dr. Mackenzie's clear blue eyes; they were almost the same shade as his.

"You were quite dehydrated," she set down her file. "It's not uncommon to faint during early pregnancy. Blood pressure tends to drop, that coupled with the dehydration led to your fainting spell."

"Should we be concerned, doctor?" Elijah laid a hand on Elena's elbow when he heard her heart skip a beat.

"No," Dr. Mackenzie shook her head and smiled, "dizziness is not uncommon. If you feel dizzy try sitting down; stay hydrated and try a healthy snack. Sometimes the only thing you can do is sit and wait it out." She pulled out a few papers. "Your vitals are fine, and I've written you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, so long as you don't feel you're about to faint again you're free to go."

Elena stared with wide eyes as the IV was removed; she almost didn't see Kol slip into the room as she shook her head.

"You made a mistake," her voice was stronger than she felt.

"Miss Gilbert?" Dr. Mackenzie frowned.

"I'm not pregnant," Elena crossed her arms and struggled not to glare at the clearly incompetent woman.

"I guarantee you are," Dr. Mackenzie swallowed under the force of the sudden glare, "but if you need more proof I can certainly provide it. Just wait here and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Elijah raised an eyebrow when the doctor was gone, but it was Kol who voiced the question.

"Pregnant, huh?" Kol leaned against the pale wall. "I guess it's a good thing we didn't get around to the drinking, then."

"I'm not pregnant," Elena glared at him.

"The doctor seems to think you are," Elijah pointed out.

"Well I'm not," Elena uncrossed her arms and lifted her shirt when Dr. Mackenzie sat beside her on a stool and wheeled over an ultrasound machine. "And you're about to see that for yourselves; there is nothing in there."

She was expecting Elijah and Kol to agree with her immediately, so she was surprised when they nodded for her to check the monitor. The blood drained from her face when she followed Dr. Mackenzie's finger to a small dark spot located deep inside of her.

"Right there is the gestational sac… sacs," Dr. Mackenzie shifted the probe. "You are about five weeks along now, so you would have conceived three weeks ago."

Elena was still staring at the screen as it displayed her very occupied uterus.

"I thought you said she was five weeks," Kol placed his hands on the bed and leaned closer, "how does that work."

Dr. Mackenzie smiled and lifted the probe. "We actually count from the last menstrual period which occurred two weeks before the conception."

Elena swallowed and shook her head. She couldn't be pregnant; it was not possible. The last time she had slept with a human being was over three years before when she'd been dating Matt.

It wasn't until she was sitting in the back of the cab with the brothers and staring at the photo in her hand that Kol caught her attention.

"So," he fiddled with his cell phone, "who's the father?"

* * *

Klaus compelled the staff at the private airport where he had tracked down Kol's car. It hadn't taken the attendant long to locate the flight that had left in the dead of night for Richmond, Virginia.

He was about to arrange a plane of his own when he was informed of the change of the flight path a few hours into the journey.

"The plane landed in Scotland several hours ago," the young woman informed him.

* * *

"That's not possible," Elijah leaned forward when she finally whispered a response.

"Tell me about it," Elena muttered. She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. Her head tipped back against the seat as she drew in a deep breath.

There was a baby growing inside of her; there might have been two, but the doctor had not wanted to say for sure as it could have been a shadow behind the first gestational sac.

Klaus was getting his way; her bloodline was going to continue. Somehow Elena doubted that he had envisioned himself as the father of her future children.

She paled when she thought of Klaus. How was he going to react? What was her child going to be? How had they even managed to make a baby?

She knew how it had happened. She remembered it vividly and had to force herself to retreat from the memory before Kol and Elijah were able to smell her and know where her mind had wandered.

She opened her eyes and leveled them with an accusing stare as if one of them should have known and warned her that it could happen. Elena knew her blame was misplaced; she could tell by the shell-shocked expressions on their faces that they'd been under the impression they could never have children, but she was hormonal and wanted to lash out at someone. The Original brothers were the only ones in the vicinity.

"How is it possible?"

"It's not," Elijah shook his head. "There must have been someone else."

"Elijah," Elena took a deep breath and braced her hands on the seat, "I didn't leave that house for six weeks. I didn't leave… Klaus didn't leave… and until Kol arrived nobody came in."

Kol and Elijah glanced at each other when Elena's heart remained steady.

"I'll call a couple of witches," Kol opened the door when they arrived at the manor.

"Keep things quiet, Kol," Elijah offered her a hand. "Niklaus has more enemies than I could possibly count. If word gets out," he met Elena's dark eyes, "you'll never be safe."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to get real for a second. I am scared to write any major interactions between Elena and Elijah in this story because I know me and I will struggle not to show the obvious chemistry between them. I fully intended for this to be a KlausxElena story, and I'm genuinely afraid I'm going to wind up with some triangle stuff... :)  
> It would be better than the Salvatore triangle though... ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> I'm sorry for the delay in updating. I put everything on the back burner to finish writing Unobtainable before I have to go back to work in a few weeks and everything slows down. I wanted to finish one more story before hand.
> 
> Now I've got Tabula Rasa (both the Kolena and Elejah versions), Lexa, Consequences, and Strong Ageless Fearless. That's four stories to keep me busy (technically five since TR has two different outcomes... still need a name for the other version... I was thinking maybe 'A Little Like Fate' or 'Other Places, Other Faces'.)
> 
> Sorry for going off on a tangent there... on to the newest chapter of consequences.

Elena sniffed before her nose wrinkled and she was forced to turn her head away. She closed her eyes and swallowed down her rising nausea. She ran her fingers back through her hair and sipped from the glass of water.

"You have to eat, Elena," Elijah nodded to the frittata in front of her.

"I don't think I can," her stomach shifted violently.

"Try, please," he placed the fork in her hand and started skimming the paper, "you haven't eaten a thing since leaving Greece. Eat," he glanced up to find her in a staring contest with her plate, "it's the least you can do after I slaved over a hot stove."

Elijah hid his smile behind the paper when he heard her strangled laugh.

Elena rolled her eyes and dutifully took a bite. Chewing slowly she swallowed took a drink of water.

"Happy, now?" She broke off another small piece. It wasn't too bad if she took small bites and chewed slowly.

Elena would never admit it but the food was helping her settle her nausea.

"Ecstatic," Elijah murmured around the rim of his coffee cup.

Elena rolled her eyes. She had nearly finished the late breakfast when Kol strode into the kitchen and dropped into a kitchen chair.

"Pack your bags, darling," he snagged a piece of frittata, "we're bound for the states."

Elena gave him a pointed look when she lifted her water glass.

"Right, sorry," Kol cleared his throat, "your bags are in Greece."

Elena's foot jiggled under the table.

"Where are we going?" Elijah pulled his phone from his pocket to book the plane.

"As long as it's not Mystic Falls I'm happy," Elena stood up. She laid her hands on the table and paused when the room spun.

"Are you alright, love?" Kol dropped his fork.

"Fine," she exhaled when the dizzy spell passed and carried the dishes to the sink. "Where are we going?"

"Louisiana," Kol returned to his breakfast while keeping an eye on the brunette.

"Is there a problem with going home Elena?" Elijah texted the pilot and put the phone away when he got the reply.

"You mean aside from the exes who tried to kill me," Elena returned to the table, "and then acted like it wasn't a big deal that they were going to turn me into a vampire? You know I'm fairly certain if Klaus hadn't snatched me in the middle I'd be dead right now."

"You certainly wouldn't be pregnant," Kol smirked. His eyes grew round when she knocked his water glass into his lap.

"Oops," Elena rolled her eyes when Elijah placed the vitamin in her palm. She tilted her head and reached for her own glass. "You would have been that father, wouldn't you?"

"I beg your pardon?" He struggled not to laugh while Kol wiped up the worst of the mess with a napkin.

"You know," Elena grimaced when she swallowed the pill, "the overbearing father to be that makes sure I never miss a dose of my medicine."

"Nah," Kol snickered, "Elijah's just overbearing."

Elena rolled her eyes. She folded her hands in her lap and leaned back in her chair.

"What's in Louisiana?" She turned her head when she heard a car in the driveway.

"Potential answers," Kol pulled her to her feet.

"Too fast," Elena clutched his hand and the back of her vacated chair.

"Honestly Kol," Elijah shook his head. "Try to keep in mind that she is pregnant."

* * *

Elena stared out the window of the car on the short drive to the air strip. The food had helped her nausea enough that she could think about other things, and since she knew she was not being delivered to Mystic Falls she was able to think about what was happening to her body.

She knew it was ridiculous but she could have sworn she could feel the cells multiplying rapidly in her uterus. She knew the brothers saw when her hand settled over her abdomen, but her brain was too occupied to think about their eyes on her.

She was having a baby. She was having a baby with one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

How was he going to react when she finally saw him again?

* * *

Klaus flashed through the house. He growled when he finally stopped in the kitchen and caught the lingering smell: Elena, Elijah, and Kol.

They had been there several hours before, but he had no way of knowing where they were now. All he knew was that they had left at some point and that it was unlikely they would return to Inverness.

* * *

They had been in the air for several hours when Elena broke her silence. She had been thinking of all of the possible ways Klaus would take the news of his impending fatherhood.

She knew he wouldn't believe it at first and that she'd have to remind him of the circumstances of the last two months. She had no idea how he would react after that though. He had wanted her to have children so he could have another doppelganger. Somehow she couldn't picture him holding a child of his own.

She thought of many things when she thought of Klaus Mikaelson: sarcasm, distrust, and loyalty, and intelligence, fear of abandonment, arrogance and mind-blowing sex. She associated Klaus with many things but children were not on the list.

What kind of father would the guy with severe father issues be?

Her head whipped around to face Elijah who was perusing a book.

"Does he know where I am?"

"Who?" Elijah marked his page.

"Klaus," Elena tucked her damp hair behind her ear. She had been pleasantly surprised when the plane had a shower and had spent thirty minutes letting the hot water work the tension from her shoulders. "Does Klaus know where I am?"

"No," Elijah shook his head, "he has no idea."

"Well I'm assuming if you didn't tell him that you didn't mention the baby," Elena shivered. She reached up and closed the air vent.

"You would be correct," Kol passed her a blanket from the overhead bin.

Elena wrapped the soft material around her shoulders and curled into a tight ball. "We're either of you going to tell him where you were taking me?"

"I hadn't planned to," Elijah closed his book when she yawned. "Of course that was when I was under the impression you were being held against your will."

"I wasn't," Elena blinked tiredly.

"I know that now," Elijah watched her eyes droop. "We can call when we land."

"Which will be when?" She struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Six hours," Kol checked his watch. "We don't meet the witch until tomorrow night, so we should have just enough time to get you some new clothes."

"I had plenty of clothes," Elena shot him a tired glare.

"Look at it this way," Kol smirked, "if you ever take a trip to Greece you won't have to pack." He laughed when Elena rolled her eyes. "Aren't most woman usually thrilled with the prospect of shopping?"

"Typically it's an enjoyable activity," Elena sighed, "not a necessary one."

"Again, sorry," Kol lifted his hands.

"Again?" Elena scoffed. "I'm pretty sure that's the first time you've said it." Her eyes snapped open when her body was lifted into the air. "What are you doing?"

"Putting you to bed," Kol kicked open the door and laid her down.

"You know I can walk right?" Elena curled on her left side and bunched the pillow under her head.

"I know," he chuckled, "but last time you stood up on your own you started vomiting."

"I was sick," she mumbled into the pillow. She didn't hear his reply.

* * *

Elena drew in a deep breath and tightened the muscles in her stomach. She struggled with the button on the dark denim before ripping the jeans down her legs with a huff. She pressed her lips together to stifle her annoyed scream and threw the material into the corner of the dressing room.

"Everything alright, darling?"

She kicked the denim for good measure before ripping open the dressing room door and glaring up at him with angry tears in her eyes. She had never been the type of girl to cry over a little gained weight, but the sudden shift in sizes made her angry. She would have to remember to pick up a book on pregnancy at some point to look up what was normal in terms of weight.

"No," her voice cracked, "everything is not alright. Nothing fits."

"Did you select the correct size?" Kol immediately regretted the question when the tears spilled.

"Of course I got the right size," Elena shrieked. "I've been the same size for the last two years. I know what size I am." Her hands waved wildly. She grunted when her fingers hit the door and cradled her hand to her chest.

"Your body is changing, Elena," Elijah tilted his cell phone towards his shoulder, "might I suggest the next size up."

"I'm not supposed to change that fast," she shook her head before leaning against the door frame. "The tops still fit," she waved her hand towards the sleeveless tunic she was wearing.

"Well," Kol tilted his head, "I've not been around many expectant mothers, but I'm fairly certain the weig…" He trailed off under the intensity of Elena's glare. Clearing his throat he took a small step back and held out his hand. "What size are you?"

"Eight," Elena swiped away her tears. "Thank you," she murmured when Elijah pressed a linen handkerchief into her hand. She dried her cheeks and nodded to the phone. "Is there any answer?"

"Niklaus," Elijah didn't get a chance to reply before the call connected.

_"Where the bloody hell is she?"_

"I think I'll wait until you adopt a civil tone to talk," Elijah rolled his eyes and took some of the rejected clothes from the dressing room.

_"I know Elena is with you. I could smell all three of you in Inverness."_ There was a brief pause where Elijah could hear Klaus struggle to calm his breathing.  _"If anything has happened to her I'll dagger the both of you."_

"Elena is perfectly…" he paused when he saw her pull the edges of the top over her slightly swollen stomach, "… fine."

_"You hesitated."_

"She's alive and well, Niklaus," Elijah watched her run her hand over the small expanse. Was it normal to gain weight that early? He supposed she could have been slightly bloated as well; although he was not about to suggest that to her.

_"Where is she?"_

"Currently in a changing room," he sighed, "since she didn't have any clothes. I had every intention of taking her home, but she adamantly refused."

_"She would,"_ Klaus' voice strained with rage,  _"she wanted to stay as far from the Salvatores as possible."_

"Rest assured she is still far away," Elijah straightened when he felt Elena's eyes on him. Wordlessly he passed her the phone.

"Klaus?" Elena turned when Kol placed some hangers in the fitting room.

_"Elena,"_ she could hear the relief in his voice  _"are you alright?"_

"I'm f-fine," she swallowed down the rising nausea.

_"You don't sound fine, sweetheart."_

* * *

_"I'm fine,"_ she repeated,  _"just a little nauseas."_

"You're sick?" He paused on his way to the car. His hand tightened around the cell phone as his foot hung in midair. "Where are you?"

_"I'm not entirely sure,"_ he heard her swallow and run her hand through her hair.  _"Somewhere in New Orleans."_

"What the bloody hell are you doing there?" The anger had leeched out of his voice to be replaced by disbelief.

_"Seeing a witch,"_ he frowned when he heard Kol,  _"in a couple of hours. There is a situation with Elena that requires magical assistance."_

"What situation?"

_"I don't think you would believe us,"_ Elijah murmured.  _"Elena didn't even believe it and she had physical proof."_

_"Personally I don't think she believes it yet,"_ Kol snickered.

_"I believe it,"_ Elena grumbled,  _"I'm just in shock. Can you meet us down here?"_

"I'll be on the next flight," Klaus hung up the phone and slid into the car.

* * *

She chewed on her thumbnail and blinked. Her eyes focused on the back of the passenger seat as the feeling of unease grew in her stomach.

"When is this witch meeting us?" Elijah glanced at the time on the dash.

"An hour," Kol turned onto a leaf strewn road, "you did say keep it quiet." He laughed humourlessly and slowed the car to watch for the right turn off. "Nobody will hear of it out here."

Elena glanced at Kol behind the wheel before staring warily through the window at the passing trees. They towered overhead and ringed the crescent moon in black lace. There was something foreboding between the arching trunks; she could sense eyes on the car and wondered how Elijah and Kol seemed so calm.

"I sent the co-ordinates to Nik," Kol continued unaware of the turmoil swirling in Elena.

"Rather pointless since he won't land for another six hours," Elijah's fingers tapped the armrest.

Elena pushed her hair from her face. A line appeared between her eyebrows.

Mud flung upwards and spattered across the windows. Leaning forwards she saw that Kol had somehow managed to get the vehicle stuck. Tires spun flinging more mud into the air.

"You realize that is not going to work, right?" Elijah remarked drily.

"Was worth a shot," Kol rolled his eyes.

"Should we be concerned about that?" Elena's voice was soft when she finally turned away from her window and interrupted the feuding brothers.

They followed her finger to the smoke starting to rise from the hood of the car. She opened her door and stepped out with them. She grimaced when her sneaker sunk into the mud. She pulled it free with a wet sound and shook the dirt from her foot. A shiver raced down her spine.

The question of whether either brother knew anything about the internal systems of a car died on her tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's going to happen? O_o...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> I do not plan on this following season 1 with Elena in Hayley's place. There will be some elements from the season in the story but i don't intend for this to be a re imagining.
> 
> Just to let everyone know I will be putting this on the back burner for a few days since work starts on Tuesday and I currently have 5 stories on the go. I'm going to try and finish the LEXA backstory before the end of the week... it's looking like six more chapters for that one with some definite pining coming up... she's going to be so close and yet still so far.

 

Elena's eyes were round. She stared and stared and stared at the glowing eyes between the branches of the trees. Her limbs were frozen. Her breath caught in her throat.

The strange sense, that something terrible was about to happen, screamed through her subconscious. Her mind stuttered when she was finally able to turn her head towards the siblings. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

She opened her mouth to say something; to scream or warn them but no sound came out. She could do nothing but stare as the wolves advanced.

Kol's head snapped up when he heard the softest of footsteps. His signal to Elijah was silent; the gentlest inclination of his head had both brothers' turning to analyze the pack of wolves that had somehow stolen ground.

"Elena," Elijah glanced over his shoulder while keeping one eye on the silent sentinels, "get back in the car." His voice took on a sharper edge when she didn't move. "Elena!"

She swallowed and tried to make sense of what Elijah had just said. Her cold hands balled into fists; she couldn't hear much through the pounding of her heart which only seemed to increase the longer she stared into the glowing yellow eyes of one of the wolves. Animals were not meant to have that much intelligence in their gaze.

"I don't think she heard you, 'Lijah," Kol stiffened. He could hear the pounding of her heart.

The wind suddenly shifted and brought the smell of fear to his nose.

Elijah turned his focus from the pack. He moved faster than a bullet and took hold of Elena's arm. The moment his hand closed around her was the moment the wolves moved.

Elena tore her gaze from the first wolf and attempted to focus. It was a mistake. She heard the sickening thumps as Kol caught the beasts and threw them out of the way before they could reach Elijah.

She couldn't bring herself to be too worried though. She couldn't understand why she had been afraid at all; they were just wolves and she was traveling with two Original vampires. Elijah was only trying to get her out of harm's way.

She paled when Elijah opened the door and a pained roar reached her ears. She could see the shock on Kol's face and the surprise on Elijah's.

Elena stared at the wound that refused to heal and saw the dark streaks starting to make their way up his arm.

It hit her like a ton of bricks then: the reason she was uneasy. Wolves didn't live in swamps.

She couldn't stop the small shriek when Elijah pushed her into the back seat of the car. She fell flat on her back across the seat and pushed herself up on her elbow.

Elijah didn't get a chance to shut the door before he had to spin to throw a wolf off of him.

It was probably foolish, and she was definitely going to get an earful if she survived but she did it anyway. She scrambled out of the car and knelt in the mud beside Kol who had suffered two more bites in the time it had taken Elijah to move her.

"Are you okay?" Her fingers ghosted over the inflamed bite on his arm. She grimaced when he hissed and swallowed down her nausea when she saw the infection.

"Fine, darling," Kol sat up. He froze when he went to move her and heard the low growl of the werewolf. He followed the wolf's gaze to where his hand was on Elena's arm.

Elijah looked around when the wolves ceased their attack to find them circling back behind the one staring down Kol.

Tentatively Kol lifted his hand from Elena's elbow and the wolf stopped growling. Its gaze still darted between Elena and the brothers.

Elijah moved slowly to stand behind Elena and offered a hand to help her to her feet and saw the wolf's hackles rise; they fell when Elena put her hand in his palm.

"I gotta say," the voice floated from behind the trees, "I was not expecting that."

Elena turned her attention from Kol, who was inspecting the bites along his arms, to the woman stepping out from between the arching trees.

"Who are you?" Elena's stomach turned dangerously. She pressed the back of her palm to her lips and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Alright," Kol snapped, "we've followed you in silence for twenty minutes now… at a human pace I might add. I think it's time you gave us some bloody answers." He eyed the wolf through the trees when it snarled.

"Don't mind my brother," Elijah gave him a pointed look, "that's the venom talking. He is usually much more civilized."

Elena inclined her head and gave Elijah a side long look.

"Alright," he relented, "he's usually more polite. He hasn't been civilized in centuries."

"None of us are civilized, 'Lijah," Kol rolled his eyes. "We just like to pretend." He snickered when he saw Elena hang her head. "And now she's asking what she's gone and shackled herself to."

"No, Kol," Elena snapped, "I'm thinking I'm cold, nauseas and covered in mud."

"Were almost there," Eve tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear.

* * *

Klaus paced the length of the airplane. Every few minutes he would stop and temper his sudden desire to break a hole in the curved walls.

It would be an undeniably stupid action that would force the plane to make a crash landing.

The crash wouldn't kill him, but it would definitely hurt and hinder his journey to the Bayou in New Orleans. So he tempered the urge and channeled his aggression into his feet.

* * *

Elena sat on the edge of the rickety porch. She probably should have been wary of accepting the blanket from her silent host, especially with the wolves that had journeyed into the edges of the yard, but she was too cold to care.

She wrapped the warm wool around her shoulders and frowned at the confused look on Eve's face.

Eve tilted her head and ran her eyes over Elena's slim frame.

"What's a wolf doing traveling with vampires?"

"Excuse me?" Elena's eyes grew round. "I'm not…"

"You must be," Eve nodded to the wolves now watching them, "they don't just back off for anyone. They have more sense than most in this form because they spend most of their lives that way, but the basic instinct is to kill vampires and anyone who gets in the way. They only back off of wolves."

"Well, I'm not one," Elena shook her head.

"Do you know that for sure, darling?" Kol sat down beside her and rolled his neck. The fever was starting to spread through his veins. "If you want to kill Evie over here," he smirked, "we can find out… in eight months."

Elena's fingers flexed before her hand darted out and shoved Kol's shoulder so he stumbled off the porch and landed half way in the swamp.

Kol shook the water from his hair and coughed.

"That's how you treat a dying man?" He held his hand over his heart aghast.

"You're not dying, Kol," Elena rolled her eyes. "You're just sick. Don't be so melodramatic."

"I'm melodramatic?" Kol gaped. He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You pushed me off the deck."

"I see that as an improvement over wanting to push you out of the plane," Elijah chuckled. He turned to Eve while shaking his head. "Elena is not a werewolf, nor does she have the gene."

"Does her baby?" Eve brushed her braid back over her shoulder.

"They could sense that?" Kol returned to his seat beside Elena.

"Wolves are sensitive to that," Eve shrugged, "even when the gene is un-triggered. You haven't answered my question yet."

"We're here to see a witch," Elijah murmured when Elena stood up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I just need to move," Elena took a deep breath. She tightened the blanket around her shoulders. "Can I do that, or are you going to throw me in the back of a car again?"

"She'll be fine," Eve offered a small smile, "none of the wolves are going to hurt her."

Elijah sighed and stepped out of her way. "Just stay in sight please."

Elena nodded once. Their voices faded when she reached the edge of the clearing and circled around while trailing her fingers over the rough bark of the trees. She could sense the eyes of Elijah and a few of the wolves on her as she moved and took several shallow breaths to quail her morning sickness.

She could still hear them though. The soft voices carried over the still air. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered the knowledge that the wolves of New Orleans had been cursed at the behest of the vampire Marcel who now ruled the French Quarter.

"Do you have any idea why the witch would want to meet us out here?" Kol rubbed the back of his neck. He took shallow breaths to combat the desire to tear out the woman's jugular.

"I don't spend much time in the city," Eve shook her head, "but from what I've heard the witches can't practice in the city. Marcel has some way of finding out and if they practice they die."

"You've heard?" Elijah tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"They come out here sometimes," Eve held out her hands to encompass the bayou, "and I overhear some conversations. It's been in the last year some time, but from what I understand he can't tell when magic is used out here."

Elena turned her head towards the dark woods. Anxiety swirled in her abdomen. The strange sense of being watched by malignant eyes washed over her. She hugged herself and took a hesitant step backwards. She stifled the shriek when a warm body nudged her knees; looking down she saw the wiry body of a wolf urging her back towards the shack.

She had made it halfway towards her companions when the figure stepped through the trees.

"You're not an easy group to find," the tall brunette glared at the assembly. "Oh joy," her eyes flickered over the clearing, "wolves."

Elena swallowed suddenly more nervous than she had been in a long time. She'd felt less fear when Klaus had held her beneath that full moon with the intention of draining her dry. The woman's rich chocolate skin seemed to shine in the light of the crescent moon.

Elena couldn't find the snooze button on the alarm ringing in her mind. Her stomach knotted under the intense scrutiny of the newcomer. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this woman was the witch and that Kol's question was completely unnecessary.

"Yeah," the woman nodded, "I'm Sabine. Don't bother introducing yourselves," she waved dismissively, "I know who you are. I don't know who she is," Sabine gaze flickered from the brothers to Elena, "but I know who you two are. The Originals are famous in this city; word travels fast."

"Yes, well," Elijah came forward and placed his hand on the small of Elena's back, "perhaps we could keep our arrival in the city quiet."

"Fearing the paparazzi?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"Something along those lines," Elijah chuckled. He kept one ear on Elena's slowing heart and the other on Sabine.

"Your brother was rather vague," Sabine nodded to Kol who was taking stumbling steps towards them, "it was something about a pregnancy."

"Perhaps we could go somewhere else," Elijah glanced over his shoulder to Eve.

"Don't be ridiculous," Eve nodded to a couple of the wolves, "Your friend there is exhausted. You can stay here… we'll go."

Elena's heart thudded in her chest when the wolves left. She knew it was probably ridiculous to mourn the loss of the cursed beings, but she was feeling mildly exposed when they left.

She knew Elijah would protect her if it came down to it. He had tried to keep her alive before she was carrying his brother's baby; Elijah Mikaelson was all about family. She knew Kol would as well; she would have felt better if he were not under the effects of three wolf bites.

She didn't quite understand the logic of her mind. She had been terrified of the wolves less than an hour ago, and now she wanted them to remain and watch silently.

She didn't understand why she was the only one uneasy in this woman's presence. Maybe Kol and Elijah were just hiding it better than she was.

"So," Sabine followed towards the shack and lowered her bag to the deck, "what seems to be the issue? I'm assuming she's the one who's pregnant."

"That is the issue, love," Kol leaned against a tree. "It's a pregnancy that shouldn't have happened."

Elena quietly explained the situation. She wondered if she had imagined the way Sabine's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion when she said it was Klaus who had fathered her child.

Sabine watched Elena carefully; almost hopefully. She scrutinized the shorter woman's features for any sign of dishonesty.

"Are you sure?"

"Do you think I would have let them drag me out here if I wasn't?" Elena glared. She turned her heated stare on Kol when he smiled innocently.

"Do you really think you had a choice, darling?"

"I will set you on fire," Elena's voice dropped to a dangerous level. She was pleased to see the slight gleam of fear in his eyes… or maybe it was the fever; either way it made her feel better. She turned her gaze back to Sabine. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You're not looking for a confirmation then," Sabine sighed, "you just want to know how it happened?"

Elena nodded.

"Well, then," Sabine held out her hands towards the deck, "step into my office and lie down."

"Bayou baby doctor," Elena muttered. She dropped the blanket on the heavy wooden deck and stretched out on top of it.

"No," Sabine chuckled, "just a witch. There is a doctor out here though," she inclined her head to the left, "about three miles that way."

Elena took a deep breath and slid her shirt up when Sabine asked. She flinched under the cold fingers and closed her eyes to block out the sudden swirl of energy deep in her abdomen. Sabine's voice was rough and disembodied.

"There's definitely some vampire in there."

Elena opened her eyes in time to catch the end of a smile that perplexed her. She knew it was gone by the time she sat up and Sabine turned back to the brothers.

"It's faint, but it is there," Sabine pushed her hair behind her ear. "Klaus is the hybrid: the Original hybrid. He's half vampire and half werewolf."

"We're aware of that, love," Kol smirked at Elijah. "We had to listen to him gripe about it for centuries."

"We're you aware that he's halfway between living and dead: caught in the middle?" Sabine arched an eyebrow. "Vampires cannot have children, but werewolves can. Does he know about this?"

"Not yet," Elena breathed. "Now that we know how could we please get out of this swamp?"

Elijah was going to object when he saw the trepidation in Elena's eyes. He stomped down his further questions before nodding.

"Of course," he gently took Elena's arm. "Sabine if you wouldn't mind answering some questions at a later date?" He returned her nod with a curt smile before turning to Elena. "The car is still broken down and I am assuming you're not up for a long walk."

"I have a feeling I know where this is going," Elena sighed. She closed her eyes and nodded. "I reserve the right to throw up when we get there."

"Maybe keep your eyes closed," he suggested. "Kol can you make it back without assistance? Or will I find you snacking on the locals?"

"Ha-ha-ha," Kol rolled his eyes. "I'll have you know the fever is just starting."

"Wonderful," Elijah bent and lifted Elena into his arms, "I'll chain you up when we get there."

"Can't I just wait for Nik?" Kol groaned. "He's going to land in a few hours."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?
> 
> Klaus is set to arrive in the next chapter.
> 
> Oh... and the car breaking down was a fluke... the Bayou's muddy and full of cursed wolves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been trying to finish up Lexa's story while I'm inspired for it and while I've still got an abundance of time.

She clung to Elijah's arm when he stopped in the entry of the large house and waited a moment. When there was no sign of nausea in her stomach she released him and opened her eyes. The wide mahogany staircase greeted her vision.

She toed off her shoes and picked them up to keep mud from tracking through the mansion.

"Are you alright?" Elijah watched her drawn face carefully and listened to her steady heart.

"I think so," Elena nodded. She paused with one hand on the railing.

"Are you sure?" He lifted an eyebrow when he noticed her white knuckled grip on the bannister.

"Yeah," she nodded after a pregnant pause, "I just can't remember where the room is."

"Up the stairs," Elijah took her ruined sneakers, "third door on the left."

"Thanks," she murmured.

Kol chose that moment to crash into a table in the entry.

Elena jumped when the vase shattered on the floor and held her hand over her mouth to stifle the shriek. She rolled her eyes when she saw that it was only Kol and sighed when he grimaced and pushed his sweat drenched hair from his forehead.

"Maybe you should lie down," Elena tucked her hair behind her ear and turned back to the stairs, "you don't look so good."

She stepped into the bedroom and forced herself to dig through a bag for pajamas before shuffling into the bathroom. She shivered when she shucked off her wet clothes and crossed her arms over her chest. Her hands rubbed the goosebumps from her arms.

She tipped her head back and allowed the hot water to run over her face and through her hair. Slowly the chill seeped from her body. When she was warm again she poured the new jasmine scented shampoo into her hand and lathered it into her hair.

She was still tired, but much more alert when she emerged from the shower. She wasn't sure how long she had been in there, but when she wrapped a white towel around her body the house had grown still; she tied her hair up in another towel.

Returning to the bedroom she dried off and pulled on the sleep set. She wanted to lie down, but her stomach grumbled loudly.

With the memory of what had happened the last time she skipped a meal in mind Elena towel dried her hair. The brush was pulled through her hair quickly before she left the bedroom in search of the kitchen and a near midnight snack. She paused at the bottom of the stairs when she saw that the glass had not been swept up.

She kept her eyes glued to the floor so she wouldn't step on anything sharp and peeked into every room she passed until she caught a glimpse of stainless steel.

Flipping on the light switch she crossed the room and pulled open the fridge. Her eyes roamed over the contents while she wondered who had taken the time to stock the fridge. Her mouth watered when she saw the fresh strawberries.

She pulled out the berries, honey and a tub of yogurt before moving on to the cabinets. She managed to locate granola in the pantry before she hopped onto a stool and fixed a parfait.

Elena was on the last bite of her yogurt when she felt a whoosh of air through the kitchen. She coughed and sputtered on the bite of yogurt when he appeared in front of her.

"Kol!" Elena glared up at him. The air rushed from her lungs when he took her shoulders and pinned her to the table. "Kol?"

She squeezed her eyes shut when he lunged for her throat. The scream tore from her lips and only stopped when her arms were released and a loud thump sounded from her feet.

"Elijah," she inhaled and cast her eyes to the unconscious Original at her feet.

"Elena," he sighed before taking her elbow and steering her towards the stairs.

"Are you expecting me to sleep now?" She looked over her shoulder pointedly.

"Yes, I am," Elijah took her arms.

Elena gasped. She opened her eyes and found herself in her room.

"I'm expecting you to go to lock this door and go to sleep," he backed out of the room, "I will keep an eye on Kol. With any luck Niklaus will arrive and heal him before you wake up."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the closed door. She grumbled when he called back through the wood before flipping the lock and sliding under the warm blankets.

She had no intention of falling asleep, she just wanted to be warm, but when her head hit the pillow she was out like a light.

* * *

Elijah looked up from his book when he heard the front door open. He took enough time to ensure Kol was still asleep before marking the page and walking into the entry.

"Niklaus," he inclined his head, "I was wondering when you'd catch up."

"It would have been much easier if you'd stayed in one spot," Klaus growled. "Where is she?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," Elijah found himself immensely grateful that a witch had spelled the rooms for him a century before, "first I need you to heal Kol."

"Why the bloody hell would I do that?" Klaus' eyes flashed dangerously.

Elijah stood his ground when his younger brother approached and tilted his head to the left. His voice was calm when he replied.

"Because Kol suffered three werewolf bites while protecting Elena. If he is not treated he is liable to attack her."

"So she is in the house?" Klaus lifted his brows. "There is always another option," he lifted his finger and smirked.

Elijah's eyes widened. A pained cry fell from his lips as the dagger was thrust through his chest. His final thought was that he put too much faith in his younger brother.

* * *

Elena came awake slowly and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the sunlight streaming through the window. She rolled over and snuggled into the warm body.

"Morning, sweetheart."

Her eyes snapped open. She repositioned her head on the pillow and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"I thought I locked the door," she mumbled into the pillow.

"You did," he rolled his neck to look at her. "I broke the lock."

"You're…" Elena blinked at him and narrowed her eyes, "… you're calm. Why are you so calm? Elijah didn't tell you, did he?"

"He's not very chatty at the moment," Klaus cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Was he meant to tell me something?"

"No," she pushed her mussed hair from her face, "I just thought he might have mentioned the miracle baby we made?" She was still half asleep when she lifted the puffy blanket over her shoulder.

Elena seemed to realize what Klaus had implied the same time her mumbled words sank in.

"What baby?"

"What did you do to Elijah?"

"Oh, I think you're going to explain first, love," Klaus pushed up onto his elbow, "because that's not possible. Vampires cannot have children."

"Yeah, well," Elena's eyes narrowed, "thanks to my blood you're not a vampire, or have you forgotten that fact?" She had a pretty decent idea what he had done at this point. "Your brothers dragged me out into the Bayou last night to have a witch confirm it. It was cold and muddy and we got attacked by cursed werewolves who only backed off because of this," she waved her hands towards her stomach.

"How?" His eyes grew round while she ranted and her heart remained steady. "When?"

Elena gave him a look while her mouth popped open and her brows lifted. "Please tell me I don't have to explain reproduction to a man who is over a thousand years old." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

"An explanation of this particular conception would be nice," he sat up and focused his ears on her abdomen. His hands pushed her knees so her legs were straight on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Elena's hands lifted into the air when he laid his ear over her stomach. "Klaus?" Her eyes widened when he covered her mouth with his hand.

He closed his eyes and held his breath. It took a moment for his sensitive ears to pick up the soft fluttering in her womb.

He wanted to accuse her of sleeping with someone else. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it had to be true. She hadn't left the house in the near two months they had been in Greece, and only the female housekeeper had come in.

There had been no one else.

There was definitely a baby in there.

He straightened up and met her wide eyes.

"What witch?"

"Oh no," she shook her head, "I explained. Now it's your turn." She poked his chest with her finger. "What did you do?"

"I think you already know," he stood from the bed.

"You daggered them," Elena scrambled out of the bed and followed him down the stairs. "What the fuck, Klaus!"

He spun on his way down the stairs and pressed her into the wall. His hands held her waist as he stared down into her angry eyes.

"They abducted you in the middle of the night," he tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow. "I believe that earns the two of them a very long time out. Believe me, love, their fate would have been much worse if I'd found you harmed."

"They were trying to help," she glared at him.

"Help," he shook his head. "They took you away."

"So did you," she pushed his chest. She was surprised when he stepped back. "Elijah was under the impression you had kidnapped me; he was going to take me home. I might have even woken up back in Mystic Falls if I hadn't taken sick."

"You were sick?" Concern flickered in his eyes.

"I think it was the vervain," she swallowed. "The witch last night... she said the baby did have some vampire in it. I think the vervain made me sick; which is probably a good thing because Kol compelled me rather than let me get drunk."

"Alcohol and pregnancy don't really mix," he frowned.

"No they don't," Elena exhaled slowly. "Where are they Klaus?"

"I'm not going to answer that," he shook his head and laughed. "However," he pressed a finger to her lips when she moved to protest, "Since they were trying to help I will make you a deal."

She took a slow breath and waited.

"I will not remove the daggers, and I will not tell you where my brothers are," his hand slid to cup her cheek, "but I will not stop you from removing them."

Elena watched him descend the stairs slowly. She called after him when he twisted a doorknob in his hand.

"Why not?"

"Because," he glanced over her shoulder, "I don't think you'll be able to find them. Believe me, sweetheart, they are well hidden."

* * *

Rebekah sighed when she saw the caller ID. She lowered her wine glass to the floor and trailed her hand through the bubbles and debated the merits of answering the phone.

On the one hand he had sounded dagger happy the last time she'd spoken to him. The last thing she wanted was to be pulled into whatever mess he had managed to make. It was his habit.

On the other hand this was the third time he had called in as many hours. That usually only happened when it was an emergency; most likely one that she didn't want to be involved with.

Against her better judgement she answered the phone.

"What is it Nik?"

_"I thought you might be interested in the latest news."_

"You want to know what I'm interested in knowing?" Rebekah lifted her foot from the tub to inspect her pedicure. "I'd like to know why you sound so relaxed when you were recently on a murderous rampage. I'd like to know why our brothers are not answering their phones."

_"You know Kol, Rebekah; he has a tendency to vanish on the wind."_

She rolled her eyes at his overly glib tone. "Kol yes, Elijah no."

_"I'm not overly concerned and neither should you be."_

"What's the latest news?" Rebekah finally relented. "Let me guess the doppelganger offed herself with the aid of a vampire?"

_"You think I'd sound relaxed if that were the case?"_

"If you had her strung up for torture you would."

_"Elena is still human, sister. She is pregnant with my child."_

"That's not possible," Rebekah scoffed.

_"It is possible. It seems I gained unprecedented fertility. Werewolves can have children; breaking the curse gave me the ability."_

"Where are you?" She sighed and slid down into the tub.

_"New Orleans. Will you be joining us?"_

"I assume by us you are referring to yourself and Elena," Rebekah reached down for her glass of wine. She swallowed a sip of wine and smiled sweetly. "I will not be joining you Nik. I just wanted to know what part of the world to avoid like the plague. If you hear from Elijah have him call me."

She hung up the phone before trying Elijah and getting his voicemail. She hung up again when there was no answer and went to send a message to Kol. She froze when she reread the texts from a few days before.

**KOL – Nothing…** **J** **I just ran off with Elena.**

**Please don't tell me you've fallen for the doppelbitch too.**

**KOL – I was only doing Elijah a favour.**

Kol had acted on behalf of Elijah when he took Elena. That likely meant that Elijah had been nearby. If Klaus had caught up with Elena and had her in his possession that meant he had likely caught up with their brothers as well.

Elijah had a strange kinship with the doppelganger. He wouldn't have left her alone in the care of their hybrid brother.

She shook the thoughts from her head. She was just being paranoid. Elijah was fine. Kol was off running around with some witches.

They were fine.

There was no need to worry about them.

They were fine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on a time jump for the next chapter... New Orleans is Klaus' favorite place in the world according to canon so he is more than happy to stay put for a while.
> 
> I'm thinking he's going to meet Marcel again, but I don't think he's going to be as power obsessed as he was in the show. The wolves are going to be popping in a few times as well. I like the idea of Elena trying to help them because she is a compassionate person.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

She was eighty percent sure that Klaus had agreed to the college experience to keep her out of the house and distract her from her search for his brothers. She spent three days a week on the campus taking different courses.

She was ninety percent sure Klaus was moving the coffins around the house when she was in classes. She had spent three months systematically searching the mansion. She had looked everywhere, in every room, and there was no sign of them.

She knew Klaus wouldn't have hidden his brothers too far from him; odds were they were still in the house. That meant that he was most likely moving them around when she wasn't there so she was forced to start over again.

Well that, or there were secret rooms in the house.

Elena adjusted the bag on her shoulder and paused when she smelt the rich smell rising from the cart. She smoothed her shirt down over her swollen stomach and debated the merits of stopping for a cup of coffee. She shook herself from the desire and ordered an apple cider instead.

* * *

"Well," Klaus smirked, "isn't this a surprise." He stopped at the bar when he saw a familiar face.

"Klaus Mikaelson," Marcel tilted his head and lifted his drink. "Last I saw you were running from this city with your tail between your legs. What's it been? A hundred years since that business with your papa?"

"Has it been that long?" His eyes narrowed as he took a seat and waved to the bartender for a drink.

"Mmhmm," Marcel nodded, "he ran you out of town and left a trail of dead vampires in his wake."

"I see you managed to survive," Klaus took a swig of bourbon, "I'm afraid I recently turned my father to dust."

"I didn't think you'd ever come back," Marcel held his glass and rolled his wrist so the liquid swirled in the bottom.

"Yes, well," Klaus finished his drink and pulled out his vibrating cell phone, "I've been back for a few months now; just been keeping to myself."

"That's not like you," Marcel tilted his head and eyed the phone.

Klaus angled the device so Marcel couldn't see the screen and read the text message.

**Elena – Did you forget something?**

**Not to my knowledge love.**

"I'd love to stay and chat, Marcellus, but alas," he saluted with his phone, "I have a previous engagement."

"How about a drink tonight?" Marcel leaned an elbow on the bar. "Here? Ten o'clock?"

"Sounds intriguing," Klaus grinned, "but for now I have to go."

Marcel watched him leave before nodding to a man in the corner.

* * *

Elena held the phone to her ear and smiled. She had made the point that if she was going to be spending so much time essentially on her own she should have a cell phone again for emergencies.

He had seen through that pretty quickly, but had raised no objections provided the only people with the number were him and her brother.

_"Are you ever going to tell me where you are?"_

"Maybe one day," she chuckled. "If I wasn't convinced you'd come after me I'd tell you everything."

_"What makes you think I'd do that?"_

"You'd call me crazy," Elena smoothed down her t-shirt. Butterflies fluttered in her abdomen.

_"I already think you're crazy. You're my crazy big sister."_

Elena laughed and took a drink. "I'm going to send you something later, alright?"

_"Okay…"_

"But you can't show anybody," Elena caught sight of a black SUV turning the corner. She smiled when he agreed and told him she had to go.

Elena sipped her cider and tapped her knee where it was crossed over her leg. Her lips lifted in a sardonic smile when the Lincoln came to a stop along the curb. She climbed to her feet and opened the door before tilting her head.

"Did you forget about me?" She cocked an eyebrow. This was the first time he had ever been late picking her up.

"I could never forget about you, sweetheart," Klaus watched her buckle up; "you are unforgettable." He nodded to the phone sticking out of her sweater pocket. "How's your brother?"

"In better health than yours," she quipped.

"That's cute," he chuckled before turning out of the French Quarter towards the medical center.

"I thought so," she frowned at the fluttering sensation when it started again.

Klaus noticed her expression from the corner of his eyes. He watched her press her palm to her naval. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she sighed, "just a weird feeling."

She lapsed into silence until they were parked outside the clinic. The hair rose on the back of her neck when she stepped from the vehicle. The sense that she was being watched washed over her spine; the way it would when someone was looking over her shoulder during an exam.

* * *

"Diego," Marcel clapped the younger vampire on the shoulder, "what did you find out?"

"What's the deal with this guy?" Diego narrowed his eyes. He handed over his phone and watched Marcel flip through the pictures.

"He's an Original," Marcel paused on the image of the brunette stepping from the SUV. "Who's the girl?"

"Don't know," Diego shrugged. "You said follow and see what he's up to."

"It's not like Klaus to not have an agenda," Marcel shook his head. "I want to know why he's in town."

"I heard rumors of Originals out in the Bayou in a few months back," Thierry crossed his arms and eyed the picture.

* * *

Elena sat on the couch with her knees bent under her staring at the video on her cell phone. She smiled when the baby rolled over lazily and stretched. The OB had informed Elena that the butterflies she had been feeling all day were in fact the baby moving about.

Unfortunately the baby hadn't been in a position to see what they were having.

Elena took a screen shot when she had a clear view of the baby's profile and sent it to Jeremy along with a reminder to show nobody.

"It still amazes me how far technology has come," Klaus leaned over the back of the couch and watched the video.

"Yes," Elena drawled, "it's made amazing strides the last thousand years." She tilted her head when she turned around and saw him. "Where are you going?"

"Out for a few hours," he smirked. "I met an old friend today. Someone I thought long dead."

"I find that hard to believe," Elena dropped the cell phone onto the couch.

"That my friend is alive?"

"No," Elena picked up a textbook, "that you have a friend."

"You wound me, love," he chuckled and flashed around to stand in front of her. "I have many friends."

Elena sighed when his hands settled on either side of her head. She looked into his eyes and saw the amusement dancing there. Her gaze flickered to his full lips when he chuckled.

"And how will you be spending the evening?" He tilted his head and smirked when he heard her heart rate increase.

He knew that it was the pregnancy that made her blood more potent than it had been before; he also knew it was the reason for the nearly constant state of arousal she was in. It took very little to bring the flush to her skin.

He admired her restraint, really, even if he wanted nothing more than to pin her down and drive into her until she was screaming his name. She was nothing if not stubborn though; she was angry with him. That didn't stop her from taking care of herself; it was maddening to hear her moaning for him and knowing she would have pushed him away if he stepped into the room.

He was almost tempted to un-dagger his brothers just to get back in her good graces, but he was rather stubborn too.

"You know exactly what I'll be doing," she swallowed and bit her lower lip. His wolfish grin told her he knew exactly what she wanted to be doing.

Elena lowered her textbook and swung her legs around so her feet were on the floor. She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back as she stood and stepped around him; she felt his eyes on her back when she walked out of the room and up the stairs.

"Have fun," she glanced over her shoulder, "and stop staring at my ass."

"But the view is delectable," Klaus ran his eyes up her spine until he saw her flushed face, "of course… it does look much better without the layers of fabric."

Elena's breath caught in her throat when he sped up the stairs and bent so his breath tickled her neck; desire spread down her spine and pooled in her abdomen.

"I think I'd have more fun here," he trailed his knuckles down her arm. He brushed his lips over her bare shoulder and smelt her arousal.

Elena inhaled slowly as her body begged for more substantial contact than the barely there brushes of his lips and fingers. She exhaled and bit down on her lip before turning towards him. Her lips were a hairsbreadth from his; her cool breath fanned over his chin.

"If you plan on having any 'fun' with me," she peeked up at his dark eyes, "you know what you need to do."

She smirked when she walked the rest of the way down the hall and heard him groan.

"You'll break first, love," he called after her when the door shut.

"I wouldn't count on it."

* * *

Elena pulled on her sweater when Klaus left and took a notebook and a pen out onto the back porch to sit and think.

She'd been through every room in the house twice, but the third time was the charm… right? The only question was where to start: upstairs? Downstairs?

Did Klaus have them together or in two different locations? Were they even in the house or somewhere else on the property? How far did the property extend?

At this point she was starting to feel like she was in a high stakes game of capture the flag… and she was losing.

She decided to give the house one final look before moving on.

Her feet seemed to move of their own accord in the direction of the attic. She sneezed when she bumped into a table and a cloud of dust flew into the air.

The table fell back into the wall with a hollow sound before dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. She groaned at the mess she had managed to make in the span of a few seconds and held out her hand to brace herself against the wooden wall.

She jumped back when the wall moved under her weight and stared at the wall with narrowed eyes. She squinted in the dim light from the single bulb and just made out a thin seam.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, she reached out with both hands and pushed. Her effort was rewarded with a click as the wall sprang back towards her on a hidden hinge.

"Hidden rooms," Elena shook her head and laughed. "I should have seen that one coming sooner."

She took a shallow breath in deference to the swarming dust and pulled the door open until a narrow room was revealed. The light filtered through to cast a gleam on the long mahogany coffin; on the lone mahogany coffin.

"You're not together than," Elena had to turn sideways to shimmy up alongside the casket. Her fingers skimmed the seam until she found the lock; she grunted under the weight of the lid before admitting defeat and opening it in two pieces.

Her smile turned to a confused frown. She pursed her lips when she brought her eyes to the man's face.

"Who are you?" Her voice was little more than a whisper when she tilted her head.

The man's brown hair reached his shoulders. His clothing gave her pause; it was clear the silver dagger had been in his chest a very long time. She didn't know why she bothered talking when she reached into the coffin.

"I'll be honest," her fingers curled around the hilt of the dagger, "I was hoping for Kol or Elijah. I didn't even know there was another brother, but now that I've found you," she gritted her teeth and pulled, "I'm not going to leave you." The dagger came free with a sickening sound. "Besides, Klaus said he wouldn't stop me, but I probably shouldn't stick around when you first come to. Assuming you can hear me at all," she tucked the blade into her sweater pocket, "I'll be in the kitchen with blood; make your way downstairs when you can."

She stopped when she reached her bedroom and pulled the dagger from her pocket. She knew she should probably hide it, but she didn't think her bedroom would be the best spot.

Her feet drew her to the library. She tipped her head back to examine the floor to ceiling bookshelves. She smiled to herself and wheeled the ladder around the room before locking it in place and tucking the dagger back into her pocket.

* * *

"I get the sense you're angry with me," Marcel leaned back and scrutinized the Original.

"Nonsense," Klaus waved his hand, "I'm relieved you're alive. Maybe a little upset that you didn't seek us out."

"If any of you had bothered to look back you might have noticed I was still alive." Marcel sipped his drink. "Why are you really here?"

"It's my favorite place in the world," Klaus held out his hands and smiled, "I thought I might set down roots, but enough about me. Tell me about you. I ruled this city in my day, but I could never quite control the witches; word is you can and that magic is banned in the Quarter."

"Maybe I got a secret weapon," Marcel chuckled, "an ace up my sleeve: something that gives me complete control over all of the magic in this town."

"Is that a fact?" Klaus leaned across the table.

"Might be," he shrugged, "or I could be bluffing. Either way, it's my business." Marcel poured out a fresh drink for them both before looking at Klaus over the rim of his glass. "How about the pregnant girl? How does she fit into putting down roots?"

Klaus froze mid sip. His eyes widened when he turned his gaze on Marcel. The anger simmered under his skin; it was enraging the knowledge that Marcel would have dared to spy on him.

"You had me followed?" He set down his glass.

"Can you blame me?" Marcel chuckled and ran a finger around the edge of his glass. "Original vampire shows up in town…" he held out his hands, "… it makes my guys nervous."

"You have so many guys these days," Klaus cocked an eyebrow. "Tell me Marcellus what exactly you have been up to the last hundred years. Word around the grapevine is that you're in charge. You banished the werewolves, banned magic, and have the audacity to send someone to follow me." Had he not been so preoccupied with reaching Elena he might have noticed someone tailing them.

"Exactly what you said," Marcel nodded. "Have you seen the skyline? That's progress: more hotels, more tourists, and more fresh blood. I taught the humans to look the other way." He tapped the tabletop and frowned. "You haven't answered my question. Who's the girl? You taking in strays again?"

"Now that's my business," Klaus leaned back in his chair. He turned his wrist to view his watch and frowned at the time. He had been there nearly three hours; it was a wonder he wasn't completely sauced. "And on that note; it's time for me to go."

* * *

Elena blinked tiredly at the harsh light from the laptop screen and put the finishing touches on the essay that was due in a week. She had wanted to go to bed, but she had thought that to be a monumentally stupid idea with an unknown Original due to wake up at any moment.

She lifted her eyes from the screen when she heard the stumbling steps. Her movement was slow when she stood up. One hand settled on her fluttering abdomen as the other carefully pulled open the door to the fridge and extracted a bag of blood. She opened it the way she had seen Stefan and Caroline do in Mystic Falls and held it out to the man.

She relaxed marginally when the colour returned to his face.

He watched her carefully for a moment before speaking.

"You look just like Tatia," he licked his still dry lips. He held up the empty bag. "Is there more? I am struggling to not lunge for your throat."

She nodded quickly and pulled out a few more bags of blood.

"Tatia," she sighed when he was through the third bag, "that's a new one. I'm assuming that means you slept through the Katherine years."

"Who?" He gripped the edges of the counter and watched her critically.

"Katerina Petrova: the first doppelganger," she managed a half smile that was more of a grimace, "I'm Elena, by the way."

"Yes," he nodded. "You are the woman who woke me. For that you have my undying gratitude. I hope you were not disappointed when it was neither Elijah nor Kol that you found."

Elena's eyes grew round. "I hadn't taken the dagger out when I said that."

"I am well aware," he smiled sadly. "I was under the effects of that blade for a very long time, Elena, my consciousness slowly came back."

She blinked back her hysterical tears when they welled up in her eyes. He had been fully conscious and unable to move for who knew how long; it was incredibly depressing. It tore at her heartstrings more forcefully than it would have four months before.

"Are you well, Elena?" He watched her swipe at the tears on her cheeks.

"I'm fine," she swallowed. "Just a little hormonal; the pregnancy has me crying a lot these days." She tucked her hair behind her ear and plastered on a watery smile. "I didn't catch your name…"

"Finn?"

Elena twisted on her stool and propped her chin in her hand when she saw him. The shell-shocked expression on his face was almost enough to make her laugh; she didn't think she had ever seen Klaus Mikaelson so surprised.

Her voice was sweet when he turned to her and she smiled.

"You said you wouldn't stop me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forget what episode it was where Finn revealed he was conscious but he was and I liked the idea of him hearing Elena talking. Elena obviously wasn't going to leave him when she found him.
> 
> I'm planning on bringing Rebekah back soon - or in... She's finally had enough of no answers from her brothers. It won't be long yet... I don't think Marcel is going to be a major antagonist... a minor one yes, but he's got that whole no kids rule... Sabine will return soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> This chapter has a little smut, a little fluff, a little bit of a playfully manipulative Elena, and more...

It had been two weeks since Finn had woken and in that time Klaus had done his best to avoid his oldest brother; he didn't quite know what to say to him yet. Elena had been the one to explain the nuances of the twenty-first century.

He might have tried to put his brother back under if not for his deal with Elena. He hadn't considered the possibility that she would wake Finn, but she had. The newfound knowledge that his brother had been fully conscious for who knew how long made him hesitant to re-dagger him at all; which was just as well because he couldn't find the dagger.

* * *

Klaus leaned in the doorframe and crossed his arms. His eyes roamed over her enticing skin; it had developed an unprecedented radiance in the past months.

Elena lifted her eyes from her book when she felt his gaze. It was almost worse than the near touch. Each sweep of his swiftly darkening blue eyes coaxed her hardest to control craving.

His smirk was wolfish when she caught his eyes.

"What are you doing?" She marked her page and lowered the book to the floor.

"Enjoying the view," his teeth flashed, "you look stunning."

"I bet you say that to all the girls in the bath," she adjusted the messy ponytail and stared at the bubbles. The bubbles rolled when she stretched out her legs.

"I guarantee that I have never once said that to a woman in the bath, love," he walked into the room and dropped to his knees beside the large tub.

"A thousand years and you've never said that in this particular situation?" Elena lifted one arm from the water and motioned between them.

The bubbles shifted revealing the enticing swell of her full breast. His eyes flickered down before lifting to her face again and she blushed.

"I don't recall ever using that phrase in this situation," he crossed his arms on the lip of the soaking tub. "What are you doing, sweetheart?"

She leaned back against the tub and cocked an eyebrow. "Relaxing?" Her hands slid beneath the water to her stomach. "I was feeling a little wound up."

"You know," he gave her a suggestive look; "there are other methods for relaxing." His fingers trailed over her cheek and down her smooth throat. He leaned in so his lips grazed her ear. "The bath doesn't seem to be helping." He chuckled when the smell of her arousal lifted from the water.

"Did you have something better in mind?" Elena glared when he pulled back to smirk at her.

"As a matter of fact," he ran his index finger along her collarbone, "I do. I've got a proven remedy for over taxation."

Water clung to his hair and seeped into his collar. His eyes widened in mild surprise when her hand grasped the back of his neck.

Her lips were enticing under his mouth. He allowed her to hold control for a moment before his tongue darted out to taste her sweet mouth. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and was greeted by salted caramel and chocolate.

His shirt sleeves had been pushed to his elbows but they still grew wet when his arm dipped under the water and smoothed over her soft skin. He broke away from her mouth and stared intently into her dark eyes. His hand gently squeezed her left knee before gliding along her thigh.

Her legs parted gently; she saw the surprise flickering through his eyes when she didn't stop him. She smiled encouragingly and bit down on her lower lip.

A tiny gasp fell from her lips under the gentle swipe of his middle finger. Her head tipped back to give him clear access to her throat and moaned. The pressure built fairly quickly in spite of his teasing.

Every muscle grew taught with tension. Her nails dug into his neck and arm as she ascended to cloud nine under the external stimulation. Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers penetrated her slick channel and his thumb continued to manipulate her swollen and sensitive clit.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed while he fingered her and nipped along her throat. She just knew that when he kissed her again her body was in the midst of her second, very strong, orgasm.

She was breathless when he withdrew his fingers and rested his forehead against hers. It took her a moment to catch her breath and open her eyes; when she did she pushed weakly at his chest so she could stand.

Wrapping a fluffy blue towel around her body and let Klaus help her from the tub before extracting her hand and exiting the bathroom with a small smirk lifting her lips.

"Thanks," she glanced over her shoulder, "I think I needed that."

She choked down her laugh when she heard his frustrated groan.

Klaus watched her go with a mixture of pride and sexual frustration. He hadn't thought she'd had it in her. It was partially his own fault; he hadn't gone into specifics about his 'remedy' and it was clear she was now very relaxed.

He pulled off his wet shirt and strode into his bedroom. He lifted his phone while unfastening his pants and starting the shower.

**Klaus – You will cave first, Elena.**

He fisted his hard cock when her tinkling laugh reached his sensitive ears.

_"I just got some relief so I wouldn't hold your breath."_

Water coursed over his body as he shook his head and took matters into his own hands.

* * *

"How were your classes?" Finn looked up from his book when they re-entered the house.

"Long," she sighed and dropped onto the couch. "I think that had more to do with my back ache though. The chairs in the lecture halls are not comfortable."

Elena smoothed down her shirt and felt the baby twist lazily when she stood back up. Her hand came around to the small of her back and tried to rub at the sore spot that had formed during the day.

"Elena?" Klaus pressed his hand to the small of her back.

"I'm fine," she sighed, "aches and pains are perfectly normal." She pushed her hair back from her face and rolled her shoulders back. "I think I just need to walk around for a bit."

She slipped out of the living room and took slow breaths while sliding into the library and running her hands along the shelves. She read the spines of the books before coming to the curved book shelf and tracing the worn leather and dark wood absentmindedly.

She froze when her nail caught and bent between the towering shelves. Instinctively she popped her finger in her mouth and sucked the sore spot.

Her eyes raked over the shelf. She squinted and felt a wave of fresh energy fill her when she was able to trace the barely there outline of a smaller shelf, only eight feet high, within the towering structure; she never would have spotted it if her nail had not bent back.

Experimentally, she pushed on the shelf. It rattled, revealing that it would move, but stayed firmly in place. She sighed and started running her fingers over the edges of the case.

* * *

She stared at the ceiling. She glared at the ceiling. It was a particularly offensive aspect of architecture: the worst piece in the house.

That wasn't true. The most frustrating area of the house was in the library; she was certain there was an Original sleeping behind the bookshelf but she didn't know how to open the door. There was no lever. There was no button. There was no foreseeable method for getting the shelf to move.

She was offended by the shelf.

She also couldn't get comfortable. Glancing at the alarm clock she bit back her groan and thumped her head into the pillow. The pain in her back was back; she had tried using a pillow to alleviate the pressure. It had not worked; the pillow had just flattened beneath her knee.

Throwing off the warm duvet she stood slowly and held her stomach. She rubbed over her belly button and blinked at the swell.

"You better be freaking cute," her voice was a breath of wind in the still bedroom.

She tossed her braid over her shoulder and tiptoed down the hall until she reached the half open door. Sliding through the opening she held back her sigh before climbing into the bed.

* * *

His brows lowered in confusion when the weight settled over his thigh and stomach.

With his eyes closed he inhaled the soft smell of jasmine and the most potent blood he had ever been in the presence of. His heart lightened. He slid his arm under her body and held her shoulders.

"I knew you'd give in first," he smirked and pressed his lips to her hair.

"Shut up," Elena smiled into his chest, "that's not why I'm here."

"No?" His brows rose as he came more awake. "You didn't awaken in a lascivious mood, love?"

"No," she mumbled and tightened her arm over his stomach; she felt the defined muscles quiver beneath her skin. "I couldn't sleep."

"And you thought my bed would be more comfortable?" He chuckled.

"Yours comes with a body pillow," she started to drift off; the back ache was fading.

"Since when?" He tipped his head back to view his very ordinary pillows.

"Since you knocked me up," she hummed. Her finger poked his chest, "You," she waved towards her stomach, "did this, so you," she wrapped her arm over him again, "get to be my body pillow."

"I'm not quite following your logic, sweetheart," he loosened her braid and ran his fingers through her soft hair, "but I'm not going to argue with the beautiful woman crawling into my bed in the middle of the night."

He smiled and listened to her heart slow as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Elena adjusted her cross body bag and fell into step alongside Sarah. She was only partially listening to the professor leading the group to Dauphine Street; she had not expected her history of New Orleans class to come with an actual ghost tour led by a 'witch' tour guide.

She wondered if the tour guide would be an actual witch. It wouldn't surprise her in this city; it was seeped in the supernatural.

"You look well rested," Sarah's grey eyes raked over Elena.

"I had a good night's sleep," Elena smiled. She'd had several good nights of sleep. "I recently got a body pillow."

"I've heard they do wonders during pregnancy," Sarah covered her giggle with her hand. "I've heard a skilled lover can do the same thing."

"Sarah," Elena laughed and shook her head, "that's terrible."

"But true," she held up a finger.

They fell quiet when the professor stopped and introduced them to the woman who would be leading their afternoon tour of the cemetery. Elena's eyes grew round when she recognized the rich chocolate skin, and brown ringlets.

* * *

Elena paused on the tour of the cemetery to read one of the newer names on the standing graves: Monique Devereux. Cold fear trickled down her spine; she'd had the same reaction to a couple other names in the vast grounds as well.

Her vision seemed to tunnel as she stared at the name. She mentally traced the letters until she could see nothing else.

It was the cawing of a crow that drew her attention from the grave. She turned in a quick circle and frowned when she realized she had been left behind.

Straining her ears she picked up the distant sound of an authoritative voice and started in that direction. She made it approximately ten steps when the arm wrapped around her from behind and a cloth was pressed to her nose.

* * *

"I don't know," Marcel chuckled and watched the passing tourists on the street below them, "you without an ulterior motive… it's hard to wrap my head around."

"Well try harder," Klaus braced his hands on the rail, "I have no hidden agenda Marcellus. I am an open book. The only thing I want to know is how you managed to maintain control over those pesky witches."

"Like I said," he held out his hands.

"I know, I know," Klaus chuckled, "that's your business." He checked the time on his phone before sliding the device into his pocket. "I'm afraid I have to run."

"You always do at this time," Marcel laughed. "Let me guess," he called after Klaus' retreating back, "gotta pick up the pregnant girl. You ever going to tell me who she is?"

"That's my business," Klaus smirked.

Klaus' good mood dissipated quickly when he pulled into his usual spot and found no sign of Elena. He told himself she was simply running late and would be along in a minute; he told himself that for twenty minutes before he called her number.

* * *

"Hello," her voice was soft when she answered the phone. Her smile was sweet in the face of the man's quick anger. "Lafayette Cemetery, I'll meet you at the back entrance." She hung up the phone before he could say anything further and placed it in the bag.

"Not long now," she stroked the smooth olive cheek of the young woman.

Elena glared at the woman and jerked her head away. Her hands struggled with the ties around her wrists and ankles. Her mumbled curses never reached the ears of her captors; the words stopped behind the gag.

"Don't worry," Sarah patted Elena's shoulder, "so long as he cooperates with us you and your baby will be just fine."

Elena's low snarl surprised even her when she turned her murderous gaze on her classmate. She'd never been a violent person but in that moment she wanted to gauge the redhead's eyes out and maybe feed them to her.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Elena turned as much as she could to take in the expression on the young man's face. She easily read the horror and disgust when he looked at the binds that kept her from running.

"We are finally making headway," the brown haired witch stated.

Elena struggled to remember her name. She was the same one who had met her out in the Bayou several months before.

"You've tied up a pregnant woman," the man gestured wildly to Elena. A pair of antique shackles clinked in his hand. "How is this meant to help any of us, Sabine?"

"She carries the hybrid's child," Sabine took the shackles and glanced over her shoulder to Elena, "and the hybrid has become good friends with Marcel. We're desperate Kaleb."

"Obviously," Kaleb spat. He shook his head and dropped to his knees beside Elena. "Are you hurt?"

She blinked and slowly took quick stock of her body; everything felt fine. She shook her head.

"Good…"

"Kaleb," Sabine snapped, "do not untie her."

"I for one," Kaleb pulled out a knife and cut the rope around Elena's ankles, "do not wish to be a party to this." He helped her stand and moved towards her hands. "I'd rather die ordinary then…"

Elena's breath caught in her throat when Sarah blew a white powder into her would be rescuers face and he dropped. She struggled to get through her shock and move but her arms were grabbed. She fought every step of the way that she was dragged towards the entrance of the cemetery.

She managed to make contact with her foot when she was pushed down onto a bench. She landed a few more kicks before her legs were rebound and her hands tied to the iron bar of the bench.

Looking backwards over her shoulder she just caught sight of Kaleb's foot around the corner of a mausoleum before she heard the enraged voice at the gate. She hadn't heard him sound that angry since the night Stefan had tried to turn her into a vampire.

Her immediate thought was that he would kill everyone involved in the abduction; while the thought was horrifying it brought a sense of relief to her. That feeling was short lived when she realized he couldn't enter the cemetery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virtually nothing is known about Kaleb's actual personality. Obviously we know he was a powerful witch in his own right, but I thought it would be fun to play around a bit here. He believes in what the rest of the coven does, but unlike them he doesn't want to sacrifice his soul to complete the ritual; and he sees threatening a pregnant woman and her unborn child as soul shattering.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review or koodos or even just to read the story.
> 
> Never ever feel like you have to apologize for a long review; I love them.

"Vampires require an invitation to enter the cemetery," Sabine stood a few inches in front of him; just inside the barrier. She looked him up and down with a malicious gleam in her eye.

Klaus glared at the three women; pure rage glittered in his eyes. They had bound and gagged Elena:  _his_ Elena.

"Untie her now," rage dripped from his tongue. In his mind he was counting the number of pieces he would tear this woman into when he got his hands on her.

"That won't be happening," Sabine backed up to where Elena was struggling with her bonds.

Elena recoiled under the hand Sabine laid on her shoulder. Sweat beaded her forehead; an ache settled at the base of her spine. Her blood ran cold when she met the woman's eyes.

Sabine smiled sweetly before tightening the ropes around Elena's wrists.

Elena cried out in pain when her arms were wrenched sideways. Her teeth dug into the cloth between her lips.

"I will kill you," Klaus roared, "and it will be excruciatingly slow; you will beg for the sweet release of death before I'm done."

"Spare me the dramatics," Sabine sighed.

"We have no intention of harming her or the baby," Sarah smiled at him. "We just need something from you."

"And judging by that vein popping out in your neck," Sabine smirked, "you'll do it."

"What do you want?" Klaus glared at Sabine when she approached him again.

"It's quite simple," the oldest of the witches explained, "Marcel has one of our witches and we want her back."

"Where, pray tell, do I find this witch?" He glared when the red head got too close to Elena.

"Now that we don't know," Sabine shook her head. "You'll have to figure that out for yourself and bring her back here. We'll give you until sundown."

"And if I cannot find her in those three hours?" Klaus frowned at the shackles placed in his hand.

"Agnes?" Sabine turned to the oldest woman.

Agnes reached into the bag she had placed beside Elena and pulled out an antique syringe filled with a green liquid.

"This is the Needle of Sorrows," Agnes held it up for his inspection, "it is a dark object with only one purpose: to kill an unborn child by raising the mother's blood temperature. Once it begins it cannot be stopped." She looked down at Elena's swollen stomach. "The progression of her pregnancy means it will likely kill her as well."

Elena's heart thundered in her chest; she could hear it pounding in her ears.

"You'll need those shackles," Sabine smiled, "Davina won't be likely to come quietly."

* * *

"Elijah," Rebekah slammed the car door shut and strode over the gravel, "if not answering your phone is your way of trying to get me back to this bloody city, and what is likely to be an even bloodier family reunion, congratulations it worked." Her heels clicked on the porch steps. "Now answer the phone before I break down your bloody door."

When there was no reply she used a little more force than was optimal for the aged wood of the door and stomped into the house.

"Elijah!" She called up the stairs. "Kol!"

"They can't answer."

Rebekah's mouth popped open. Her eyes grew round as she spun on her heel to find her oldest brother standing in the entry to the living room.

"Finn?" She blinked a few times to make sure he was really there and resisted the urge to pinch herself. "How?"

"Elena removed my dagger," he stepped across the foyer, "she found me in the attic and pulled out the blade."

"How did Nik take that?" Rebekah tilted her head. She had never liked the doppelganger, but the knowledge of her pregnancy and Klaus' tendency to lose his temper had her worried for the young woman's safety.

"In stride," Finn frowned. "It seems he and Elena had a deal. He would not stop her from waking us provided she could find us."

"Elena doesn't even know you," a line appeared between her brows, "and she woke you?" The knowledge that her brothers had once again fallen victim to Klaus was unsurprisingly unsurprising.

"She had no idea who I was," Finn nodded, "but she said she couldn't leave me like that."

"Probably telling you what you wanted to hear," Rebekah scoffed.

"She was unaware that I could hear her, sister," Finn shook his head, "my consciousness slowly came back under the effects of that blade. I could hear every word she said to me."

"Do you know where they are?" Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder and peered down the hall.

"Niklaus and Elena should be back at any time," Finn checked his watch.

"Not them," Rebekah shook her head, "Elijah and Kol. He's got them daggered somewhere in this house."

"I'm not sure," he inclined his head. "Elena seems to believe one of them is in the library, but she can't figure out how to open the door."

"I can do that," Rebekah pushed open the door to the library and strode towards the bookshelf.

"How can you possibly walk in those shoes?" Finn nodded to her three inch stilettos.

"Practice," Rebekah crouched on the floor and pulled out a book from the bottom shelf; it extended a few inches before stopping. She repeated the action on the third shelf and the top one. "Elena could have spent years trying to figure this out."

Finn watched her pull the spine of a thick volume on the middle shelf and heard a series of clicks emitting from the wall. The shelf swung towards his little sister when the phone Klaus had given him began ringing in his pocket; he pulled it out and saw his brother's name flashing on the screen. He was about to answer when Rebekah re-emerged from behind the wall with a coffin which she sat on the ground.

* * *

"Finn," Klaus tempered his growl while striding down Dauphine Street, "I understand that twenty-first century technology is still a bit of a mystery to you, but when you see my name on your phone you answer."

He hung up the phone and sent a text message.

**Elena is in danger. I need your help.**

He tucked the phone into his pocket and heard the gentle rattling of the shackles. With a single deep breath he took off at vampire speed and only stopped when he was in the courtyard of his old home.

"Marcellus," he gritted his teeth when he saw his prodigy appear on the balcony, "I need a word," his eyes cut to the plethora of vampires milling about, "in private."

Marcel cocked his head but nodded. He was just about to motion inside the house when Klaus held up his hand.

"Not here," he shook his head, "come walk with me. Don't worry," his smirk was tight and dark, "I'll have you home in time for tea."

* * *

Rebekah pulled the dagger free with a sharp sucking sound and stood with the intention of fetching a bag of blood. She stopped when she saw the missed message from Klaus.

"Are you going to answer that?" She nodded to the blinking phone.

Finn tore his eyes from the grey visage of his younger brother. He wondered if that was what he had looked like lying in his own coffin: grey and drawn.

He inhaled and read the message only to have the blood drain from his face.

"Finn," Rebekah tucked the dagger into her pocket, "what is it?"

"Elena's in trouble."

"Must be Monday," Rebekah sighed. She held out her hand when she saw him struggling with the keyboard and asked where she was. The response was almost immediate. "Do you know where anything in the city is yet?" She looked up at him and inhaled when he shook his head.

* * *

"Tell me about Davina," Klaus' knuckles grazed the rough bricks of the alley.

"I knew it," Marcel chuckled darkly, "you do have a hidden agenda, and as usual it's all about power."

Klaus resisted his urge to rip off several of the younger vampire's limbs and returned Finn's text.

"I find myself rather pressed for time," he lifted his eyes to the red stone, "so I'll ask again. Who is Davina and where can I find her?"

"Davina is my business," Marcel's smile fell, "she is how I keep the witches under control, and I will not be telling you where she is."

"Very well," Klaus cocked his head to one side as inspiration struck, "I've asked nicely." He flashed in front of Marcel and sank his canines into the younger man's carotid artery.

"What the hell, Klaus?" Marcel held the side of his neck. He stumbled a second later when he felt a fever roar through his blood.

"That pregnant girl," Klaus whispered harshly, "is the Petrova doppelganger. Her blood broke my curse a while back. I can see it in your eyes," he smirked, "you know exactly what my bite will do to you, and it will be fast, you'll be dead by tomorrow night at the latest."

"How is this meant to help your case?" Marcel grunted.

"You didn't let me finish," Klaus backed up, "my bite will kill you, Marcellus, but my blood will cure you. So you have to ask yourself: is your life worth your power?"

* * *

Elena rolled her neck slowly and attempted to stretch her aching muscles. There were very few positions that were ideal for the long term, and sitting sideways while being tied to a bench was not one of them.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw movement from the corner of her eyes.

* * *

Kaleb groaned and managed to turn his head slightly to the left. The image of Sabine's hostage slowly came into focus.

He tried to move but his limbs were not cooperating with his mind. He realized what Sarah must have used when a pins and needles sensation began in his fingers and toes.

He managed to force his eyes open just in time to see a familiar powder being blown into the faces of the women by the bench.

* * *

"This is it," Rebekah brought the car to a stop outside the cemetery. She was out and in step with Finn a second later.

* * *

"Let me go," Davina attempted to pull her arm free from his iron grip. She thought it just might be stronger than the shackles around her wrists.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, love," Klaus shook his head. He had not been expecting a teenager; she was little more than a girl. If the witches had threatened the life of anyone else besides Elena and his unborn child he might have let them do it; he had a strange feeling the witches intentions for young Davina were less than pure.

"Please," Davina dug her heels into the ground, "just let me go. They'll kill me. In exchange for telling Marcel when the witches were practicing he kept me safe from them."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Klaus rolled his eyes, "you're one of their coven; they're not going to kill you."

"Yes," a young man leaned against the gate heavily, "they were. They were going to kill her to complete a ritual."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Klaus froze outside the cemetery. His eyes narrowed and darted from Finn and Rebekah to the unconscious witches stretched out on the ground.

"Kaleb Westphall," he grimaced as the last of the feeling returned to his legs and straightened up.

"You weren't here earlier," Klaus looked him up and down; he couldn't have been much older than Elena.

"I was actually," Kaleb nodded behind a mausoleum. "Sarah, that's the redhead, knocked me out when I tried to let the girl go."

"And where is the girl now?" Rebekah crossed her arms.

"I don't know," he shook his head, "I was just starting to come around when Sabine blew the powder in their faces."

Klaus peered into cemetery and found the bench completely empty.

"I'm assuming this Sabine took Elena," Finn's eyes fell to the shackles around the young girl's wrists.

"She also took the needle," Klaus swore under his breath. His hand collided with the Iron Gate which crashed into the stone wall.

"What needle?" A line appeared between Rebekah's brows.

"The Needle of Sorrows," Klaus snapped.

The blood drained from Kaleb's face. He cursed under his breath and ran a hand back through his hair. He gave the confused vampires a quick history lesson on the dark object before turning to Klaus.

"Assuming Davina over here isn't going to rat me out," Kaleb waved to the girl, "I'll help you find her."

Klaus had already turned to lift the shackles from Davina's wrists. He frowned when they wouldn't come undone.

"They need to be removed by magic, or with the key," Kaleb stepped through onto the street.

"You're just going to let me go?" Davina tilted her head when Klaus lifted her hands to Kaleb.

"The deal I made with these witches was Elena, unharmed, in exchange for you," Klaus nodded to the still bodies. "They reneged on that deal, and I have no desire to see a child harmed."

"Where am I supposed to go?" Davina rubbed her wrists. Marcel had given away her location; she didn't want to go back there.

"Well, for now," Kaleb turned her away from the cemetery when he heard Sarah and Agnes stirring, "away from here. Relax Davina," he sighed when Klaus steered them towards his car, "the only one who can complete the ritual is Agnes and she's not going to find you."

"What do you need to find Elena?" Klaus turned over the engine when Finn and Rebekah climbed in the SUV.

"A map of New Orleans and your blood," Kaleb blinked when a map was placed in his hands.

"How much blood?" Klaus parked the car several blocks away from the cemetery. He bit into his wrist and held it over the corner of the open map in Kaleb's lap.

"How is his blood supposed to help?" Davina leaned forward to watch when Kaleb chanted; she shivered when she felt the magic pulsating around his body.

"It will help because she is carrying his child," Kaleb murmured while the blood made a trail, "and if we don't find them soon Sabine might do something bad to her and the baby. I'm assuming that's how they got him to agree to bring you to the cemetery in the first place."

Klaus tossed the car in drive the moment the blood settled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's picking up now... Who can guess where she is? Who can guess which brother's waking up during this whole escapade?
> 
> I'll I will say is that I've got a very clearly planned conversation for both Originals rejoining the fold.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> So I had this idea for a KOLENA story. The basic gist is that Kol's family is on his case about settling down and all that, and he finally snaps one day and lies telling them he actually has a serious girlfriend who he didn't introduce to the family because they are completely crazy and tend to send S.O.'s running for the hills. They don't believe him obviously and tell him if this girl exists to bring her to Rebekah's destination wedding which he agrees to without thinking.
> 
> Cut to the next day when he's relaying this story to his laughing co-worker who just happens to be one of his closest friends that his family has not met.

Her shoulders ached. That was the thing that brought her back to the realm of consciousness. It was the same feeling she would get in her arms while working on a particularly complicated braid, but it had been magnified by a million.

Her eyes fluttered open and squinted against the setting sun. She turned away from the brilliant light and felt her cheek press against her arm. Tipping her head back she saw her arms come into focus.

She pulled against the branch of the tree, but her hands had been extended over her head so long she had all but lost feeling and had no strength to break her bonds.

Frustrated grunts and whimpers leaked around the cloth in her mouth. Her breath came in short pants as the panic began to set in.

Elena glared when a shadow blotted out the light and the features of Sabine came into focus. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when the cloth was removed from her mouth.

"I am terribly sorry about this," Sabine's eyes said she was anything but. "You are what is known as collateral damage. A mere by-product of my revenge."

"Revenge?" Elena pulled on the branch again.

"Mmhmm," Sabine started rifling through her bag, "you see," she pointed to Elena, "Klaus was responsible for my death some 200 years ago. I want to destroy him, but since I can't kill him I'm going to settle for his child and the woman he loves."

"Klaus doesn't love me," Elena shook her head.

"Oh but he does," Sabine chuckled. "I saw it in his eyes. He loves you; he would kill for you," she continued to dig through her bag. "Many women would do anything for a love like that. I thought I had it once."

"You thought?" Elena shifted her feet in an attempt to find more purchase on the muddy ground. Her eyes swivelled around in an attempt to make sense of her surroundings. She didn't know where she was but the wet smell was strangely familiar.

"What happened?" She brought her eyes back to her captor.  _Keep her talking, Elena… keep her talking._

"His brother killed me," Sabine smiled triumphantly when she pulled the needle from the bottom of her bag. "He never avenged me. I saw the way he took care of you that night; it might have been early but he was emotionally invested in you and this baby, so I'm thinking this will get under his skin as well."

"Wait a minute," Elena backed away when the woman approached. "You said this happened 200 years ago. You can't be a day over thirty."

"I've been possessing witches since the moment of my first death, Elena," Sabine gently brushed Elena's hair over her shoulder, "I'd kill them when I was done and move on to another body."

"Please, don't do this," Elena trembled when the needle was placed against her throat. Tears pooled in her eyes. "Please… I'll do anything; just don't hurt my baby."

"Klaus Mikaelson will know despair," Sabine inserted the needle, "and I can think of nothing better for the job than the death of you and his daughter."

"Please, Sabine," Elena sobbed.

"Celeste, darling," she pushed the trigger and watched the fluid as it was injected into her body.

Elena screamed and kicked but she knew the curse was already taking effect. She forced herself to calm down before she could raise her blood temperature any more.

"I will kill you," she glared at the woman when she backed away.

"No," Celeste shook her head, "you'll be dead."

Elena saw the surprise register over her features when a loud growl reached her ears. She had just enough time to close her eyes when the wolf lunged. The screams made her stomach turn. She shivered violently when she opened her eyes and saw the bloody mess of limbs.

Most people would have been afraid, but she couldn't even bring herself to tremble when she locked eyes with the werewolf. She did flinch when it jumped and swiped at the ropes over her head; when they didn't break the wolf took up a silent post watching her and the woods.

Elena just caught sight of another wolf turning to run through the woods. It hit her then; the reason she recognized the smell.

* * *

"Why the bloody hell would she bring Elena all the way out here?" Klaus slammed the car door shut.

"Because," Kaleb sighed, "Davina's reach didn't extend this far. Bringing Elena out meant she could use a cloaking spell; I can't get us any closer."

"Then we start searching," Finn spun in a slow circle.

"Moon's coming up," Rebekah nodded to the sky, "whatever we're going to do we need to do it fast before we're overrun by werewolves."

"This actually the one night a month when you won't be overrun," Kaleb ran a hand over the back of his neck. "The wolves were cursed; they'll be human tonight."

* * *

Goosebumps had broken out along her arms. The knowledge of what the needle did made it seem strange to her. She knew her blood temperature was rising, but she didn't know why she felt so cold.

Shouldn't she feel warm?

It felt like she had been jumped into the deep end of the pool after spending hours in a hot tub. One minute she felt like she was burning up; the next ice was racing through her veins.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the pained groans. Somewhere in the back of her mind the knowledge that she wasn't alone in the woods.

Her legs buckled under her weight when her arms were freed. She collapsed against the warm chest; the heat was nice but the pressure against her skin was too much. Weakly, she pushed against the hot skin weakly and blinked tiredly.

"What did that witch do to you?"

Elena struggled to focus on the man. If she had the energy she might have blushed when she saw he was naked, but it was all she could do to focus on his dark eyes.

"Curse," Elena's hands came down to cradle her stomach. She knew it wasn't a good sign that she could feel light cramps starting.

* * *

Klaus boiled with rage. His eyes glowed gold when he pinned the naked man to the ground and snarled.

"Klaus… don't," Elena's voice was weak. She reached with one hand for his arm. "Jackson helped me," she tried to push herself into a sitting position.

Klaus released the man when he heard her voice. In a fraction of a second he moved in a blur and pulled Elena to his chest. He could feel the fever racing through her veins.

"What happened?" He stroked back her sweaty hair.

Elena pointed to the needle a few feet away. From the corner of her eye she saw Finn flash into the clearing.

"The witch injected her with something," Jackson explained. "I tried to untie her sooner, but it's rather difficult without opposable thumbs."

Klaus paled when he lifted the dark object. He turned towards his brother and inhaled sharply.

"Heal that witch, please," he stood and pulled Elena into his arms, "I have every intention of making her suffer."

Elena closed her eyes and groaned at the sudden movement. Her left arm curled around his neck; her right hand clutched her stomach. There was a rush of wind before she was lowered to the cool ground.

She heard the thump when another body was dropped unceremoniously several feet away from her. It was followed by the sound of iron clicking in place.

* * *

Davina crossed her arms and shivered. Despite the cold air she couldn't bring herself to wish for the inside. It had been nearly a year since she'd been outside and she fully intended to enjoy every minute of it.

"You could help you know," Kaleb looked up from the map and symbols he'd left drawn in the ground.

"I don't know how," she admitted quietly. "I never learned any locator spells, and it's been getting harder to control lately."

"The earthquakes…" Kaleb tilted his head, "… they weren't earthquakes were they?"

Davina shook her head. She didn't get a chance to say anything else before Klaus appeared and lowered the body of a pregnant woman to the ground. He was followed by Finn who stole the shackles from the car and slapped them around Sabine's wrists.

"I see you found her," Rebekah's eyes flickered to Elena's swollen stomach. "What's wrong with her?"

"She was injected with this," Klaus pulled the needle from his pocket. He turned to Davina and Kaleb. "If you want to help now is your chance to prove it. Undo this little trinket's curse; make it stop."

Rebekah narrowed her eyes. She had seen Klaus demand. She had seen Klaus order. She had never seen him desperate over someone else. There was genuine fear reflected in his eyes.

"It can't be stopped," Celeste laughed. "She'll die, and with any luck the mother will too."

"Shut up," Klaus' hand closed around her neck. "Everything can be undone. Every curse can be broken."

"Not this one," Kaleb cleared his throat. He knelt and pressed his hand to Elena's brow. "Dark objects… they don't come with an off switch. This particular curse has to be played out."

"What about moving it?" Davina bent her knees so she was alongside Kaleb.

"That won't…" Kaleb trailed off. "That might work."

"That curse needs to play out in a human woman," Celeste rasped around the hand around her throat.

"Then why don't we move it to you?" Rebekah smiled sweetly.

"No," Kaleb shook his head, "something like this would need to be willingly taken on."

"And I won't be taking it," Celeste glared at them.

Davina ignored her, took one of Elena's hands, and nodded for Kaleb to take the other one. She pressed her lips together and cast a quick look on Elena's red face; she knew there wasn't much time when Elena rocked forward and groaned.

"Move it to me," she met Kaleb's blue eyes, "you've got the control, and I've got more than enough power."

Klaus let go of Celeste's throat. He looked her up and down once before coming to a decision and breaking her neck.

"Vampires can be tortured endlessly," he answered Finn and Rebekah's unasked questions. He fell silent to avoid causing a distraction for the warlock now attempting to save Elena and his child.

* * *

He gasped and bolted upright in the coffin. Air filled his heavy chest and caused his heart to pound weakly. His gums ached and his throat burned.

His eyes darted around the room and quickly made sense of the library in his New Orleans home. He was on his feet and in the kitchen in an instant. It wasn't until he was through the third bag of blood that he took note of the books on the table.

He heard the door open a moment later and flashed into the entry in time to see his brother carrying a slim brunette into the house.

"Finn?"

"Look who's awake," Rebekah followed behind supporting a young man who couldn't have been more than twenty.

"What's going on? Who are these two?"

"This is Davina," Finn nodded to the teenager in his arms. "She's riding out a curse at the moment."

"I'm Kaleb," the man waved weakly. He'd used more magic that day than he had in over a year and it had definitely taken its toll.

"Pleasure to meet you," he nodded to Kaleb and watched Finn carry Davina up the stairs. "Who woke you? I know it wasn't Niklaus."

"That was Elena," Rebekah led Kaleb into the kitchen and passed him a bottle of water from the fridge. "She found Finn and removed his dagger. She also located you, but couldn't figure out how to open the book shelf."

"I suppose it's a good thing you've arrived. Where is Elena?"

"Nik took her to the hospital," she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Your ex-lover laid a curse on her. Kaleb here," she nodded to the warlock, "moved that curse to Davina where it would do no lasting harm, but Elena still seemed lethargic so Nik rushed her to the hospital. Literally picked her up and ran."

"How long was I absent sister?" He inhaled slowly.

"I was talking to Kol nearly four months ago," she sighed. "Around the time Nik was dagger happy and the two of you snatched Elena from under his nose."

"I was under the impression she was being held captive," Elijah leaned against the counter and nodded when Finn came in.

"We're not going to have a problem are we?" Rebekah pulled a bag of blood from the fridge. She caught Kaleb's grimace from the corner of her eye. "I could always feed on you instead."

"No thank you," he shook his head.

"What are you referring to Rebekah?" Elijah tilted his head.

"Elena," she warmed her blood in a mug. "I watched you and Nik get torn apart twice over the course of our lives; both times by a Petrova."

"That's not…"

"He loves her, 'Lijah," Rebekah sipped her blood. "I saw it tonight. Never thought I'd see Nik love anyone but himself, but he loves her."

"I've been awake two weeks and I've seen it," Finn nodded in agreement. "I wasn't sure until tonight, but I agree with Rebekah."

"Mmhmm," Rebekah hummed, "and you've got a habit for falling for her face. You did run halfway round the world to 'rescue' her."

"I consider Elena Gilbert to be a friend, Rebekah," Elijah met her clear eyes. "What I did for her is nothing I wouldn't have done for you."

"Good," Rebekah pulled a bag of blood from the fridge. "How about helping me with the transitioning vampire? Nik is rather intent on making the bitch suffer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got super long... so the next one is written. It has some SMUT in it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> There is smut and a confession of sorts below the line break.

"This is completely unnecessary," Elena moved to stand from the hospital bed. "Klaus," she sighed.

He cocked an eyebrow and held her shoulders. His eyes flickered with an emotion Elena had caught glimpses of over the past few months.

"Lay down, love."

It was the plea in his eyes and the set of his full lips that made her listen. She slid back in the bed and placed her hands over her stomach.

"I'm fine, you know?" She blinked tiredly. "You did give me blood."

"I still want a thorough exam," Klaus covered her small hand with his and kissed her hair. "Magic is not something to mess with, Elena, and Kaleb said that particular object was meant to be used in the first three months." His thumb stroked the back of her hand. "I'll feel better after you've been checked out."

"I thought you had some witches to kill," Elena nodded and laid her head against his shoulder; it was much more comfortable than the thin hospital pillow.

"You're more important," he murmured. "The witches that kidnapped you will keep, and Rebekah should be stringing up the one that did this as we speak."

Elena fell silent as the fuzzy memory began to clear. She hadn't quite registered the words at the time, but now they were sinking in.

"She said you killed her," she kept her voice low, "and that she's been possessing witches for over two hundred years."

"I don't recall killing any witches two hundred years ago," he smoothed her damp hair from her forehead, "I can count the number of witches over the years. What was her name, love?"

Elena wracked her mind. She knew she'd said it, but it took a minute to bring the memory to the surface; she had been rather preoccupied with the needle at the time.

"Celeste?" She tipped her head back to look at him.

"That's a pretty name," the curtain was drawn back to reveal a young woman in light grey scrubs. "Are you thinking about that for the baby?"

"I think I'm going to go ahead and veto that one," Klaus' eyes flashed when he gave the doctor a charming smile.

"Too many bad memories associated with it," Elena agreed quietly.

"Alright then," she flipped on a machine, "I'm Dr. Wilde," she lifted the intake chart, "and you're Elena?" She smiled when Elena nodded. "What brings you in tonight, Elena?"

"I umm," Elena bit her lip. Truthfully she felt fine now; a little tired but she could chalk that up to a wild day. She felt fine. "I had a little cramping earlier."

"I wouldn't have called it little, sweetheart," Klaus squeezed her hand. He could still see her curled over her stomach in agony. "It was also combined with a fever."

"Well," Dr. Wilde checked Elena's temperature, "the fever appears to have broken, so that's good. How about the cramping?" She examined Elena's stomach and tapped her and there. "Does it hurt when I do this?"

"No," Elena shook her head, "I feel fine really; the cramps stopped, but," she looked sideways at Klaus.

"I get it," Dr. Wilde squirted some gel on Elena's stomach. "My husband totally freaked out whenever I got the slightest ache; that was with my first and second baby. How long have you two been married?"

"Oh," Elena shivered under the gel and blushed, "we're not married."

"She's an exceptionally stubborn woman, doctor," Klaus smirked at the crimson stain on her cheeks, "and won't let me make an honest woman of her." He chuckled when she swatted at his chest.

"Could we just get on with the ultrasound?" Elena glared at him. "I'd like to know the baby is fine and then go home and sleep."

"Sure," Dr. Wilde waved the wand over Elena's stomach. "Everything looks fine," she nodded. "The baby is about ten inches long, weighs about a pound. Do you want to see her?"

"Her?" Klaus blinked. "It's a girl?" He remembered the side comment made by the witch earlier.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Wilde cleared her throat, "did you not want to know that?"

"It's a girl?" Elena felt a tear spill down her cheek. "We're having a girl?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded, "and she's perfectly healthy. As long as your bloodwork comes back clear you're free to go."

Elena wiped away the gel and lowered her shirt over the bump. The doctor left them to get the test results.

"See," Elena smiled weakly, "I told you I was fine." Her smile fell when she saw the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Klaus tore his eyes from the frozen image of their daughter's profile and met her gaze. What could he say? He spoke countless languages and yet he couldn't think of a single word that came close to describing his emotions in that moment.

"I'm just," he stared into her dark eyes, "relieved."

"I got that," Elena smiled. "You're not gonna get all over-protective now are you?" She teased. "I mean really… what are the odds of something like this happening again?"

"I've been alive over a thousand years, Elena," he cupped her cheek. "I've got more enemies than I could possibly count; this could easily happen again. I don't want you out alone anymore."

"Klaus," Elena wrapped her fingers around his wrist, "I can't stay inside all the time either; that would drive me crazy."

* * *

 

Elena held the car door closed when he tried to open it. She didn't remember driving there, so she could only assume that Finn or Rebekah – most likely Rebekah – had brought the SUV to the hospital.

"If you've got some kind of plan to turn me into Rapunzel," Elena tilted her head, "I am not getting in the car."

"I'm not going to lock you away, Elena," he sighed, "you and I both know that would never work out. I just want you safe, love." His hand flattened over her stomach. "I want you both safe, and I don't want those witches trying anything again."

He knew they would try again. He didn't know the full extent of what they had wanted from Davina but he had all but invited them to attack when he offered the girl his protection earlier that night.

"My heart has not failed me once in a thousand years," he lifted her hand to his chest where the organ beat steadily, "and I felt it stop tonight. I saw you lying on the ground and it faltered in my chest." He met her dark eyes. "I could have sworn the world was ending; I never want to feel that way again, Elena, so please promise me you won't go anywhere alone."

Elena saw that emotion flicker through his eyes again and heard Celeste's words echo in her memory; she wasn't sure how she hadn't seen it before. He had flown her halfway around the world and kept her away when she'd asked. He had let her remain in contact with her brother. He had completely lost it when he'd seen her in the cemetery.

"Okay," she nodded, "but you'd better come up with some kind of solution because I'm not staying in the house for the rest of my life, and neither is the baby."

"That's no life for anyone," he agreed, "We'll figure something out, sweetheart. We'll figure something out."

Elena closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. She shivered when he threaded his fingers through her long hair and brushed his lips over her brow in a lingering kiss.

"Will you get in the car now?" He pulled away and met her eyes. Her hand slid over his collar to the side of his neck and he blinked.

"In a minute," she breathed. Her eyes flickered over his face once before arching her neck and meeting his lips.

A soft moan vibrated through her throat when his hands pulled her impossibly close. Heat curled at the base of her spine under the sensual swipes of his fingers. She thought he had a truly wicked tongue if he could make such a slow and gentle kiss this arousing.

She inhaled and tilted her head so his lips could reach every inch of her neck. Her fingers groped blindly for the handle. A gasp fell from her lips when he took over and her back collided with the soft leather seat. She heard the gentle click of the door before he hovered over her and kissed her again.

She laughed and struggled for breath when his hand stole under her top.

"Would you care to tell me what's so funny, love?" He stilled his wandering fingers beneath her bra and cocked an eyebrow.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "just… an hour ago you wouldn't let me get out of the hospital bed and now you're hovering over me in the back of the car."

"An hour ago I was worried sick about you," he sat back on his knee and pulled her with him, "and now you've been granted a clean bill of health."

She stopped him before he could open the door. She bit her lower lip and found herself immensely grateful for the Lincoln's tinted windows. She saw his eyes darken when she tore off her sweater and ripped her top over her head.

Slowly, she rose up on her knees and slid her leggings down over her thighs. She got them to her knees before Klaus took her hands.

He wrapped one of her arms around his neck and lowered the other to the bulge that had formed in his pants. One of his hands grasped the back of her neck and kissed her soundly; his tongue delved into her mouth. His right hand kneaded her full breast through her bra and slid down beneath the band of her panties.

She moaned and rocked against his hand. She mentally corrected herself: his tongue was sinful, his fingers were wicked; they knew just how to manipulate her body in order to draw her into a state of delirium. Her walls fluttered around his dexterous fingers.

She saw the trepidation in his eyes. She couldn't blame him for that look; the last time they'd been in this position she'd left him wanting.

Her pussy clamped down on his retreating fingers. She fisted the lapels of his black jacket and pushed until his arms were free before working his shirt over his head. Her knees weakened; she hadn't seen him like this since Greece and the sight of his defined abdomen made her quiver with a fresh wave of desire.

Elena gasped when he pressed her back, tore her soaked underwear and leggings down her legs and knelt between her thighs. She reached between them and unfastened his belt. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she found him bare beneath his jeans and pumped him slowly and felt her head spin in the warm car.

He dragged his cock through her wet folds and was about to push forward when she placed a hand on his chest.

"Elena," his eyes flickered over her face, "are you going to push me away, love?"

"No," she shook her head, "just back." She bit her lip and raised her brow. "My back is starting to ache."

"That is easily remedied," he smirked and sat back.

Elena exhaled when she was pulled to straddle his hips and sank down on his cock. Her hands explored his chest while his guided her movements. Her head fell back when he tore off her bra and drew her nipple between his teeth. She should have been angry, but sex with Klaus wouldn't be sex with Klaus without at least one torn article of clothing.

Pressure built low in her abdomen. She flushed as his upward thrusts shifted from slow and shallow to fast and deep.

She grasped the handle by her head and held on when her body dissolved in pleasure. She rode out the high of her orgasm and opened her eyes when wind rushed around her body.

Her left hand curled around the edge of the backseat. Her right hand grasped the headrest.

"K-Klaus…" she moaned and rocked back when he thrust into her slowly. "Faster… please…" It had been too long. The suddenly gentle roll of his hips was maddening.

"I thought you'd like slow and steady," his hot breath fanned over her neck.

"I'm a big fan of slow and steady," she turned her head and tried to catch his mouth in a kiss; she huffed when he pulled away. "I'm a bigger fan of slow and steady when I'm in a bed. This," she thrust back, "is not slow and steady and you know it; this is deliberate teasing."

"You've been teasing me for months," his thumb gently flicked her clit.

Elena tightened her muscles around his thick cock and heard him growl. It was quite possibly the sexiest sound she'd ever heard.

"Tease me later," she grunted, "when we're not in the car where anybody could find us."

"A little compulsion can fix that problem, love," he nipped at her throat.

"Or we could avoid that all together," Elena bit her lip. She was surprised when it took very little persuasion to get him to increase his pace.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the other day I was scheduled to work. It's a forty minute drive from my house which meant I had to leave at 7:00; I slept through my alarm. Can you guess what time I woke up?... 6:47... I made it to work, but that definitely set the tone for my weekend.
> 
> I'm sorry about the delay in updates. I had my grandmother up this weekend and my sisters and then I baked cookies. It's been a busy few days. On the bright side I've got about half of the next chapter for Tabula Rasa hand written, and the next six planned for Strong Ageless Fearless.
> 
> I planned out the major conflicts for the story and I have a really good idea about how I want things to go, but I had to get through this chapter first for which I hit a bit of a snag. You ever have that one chapter where you're just blocked? You know the rest of the story, but you're blocked up on one chapter in the middle? That was this chapter for me.

Klaus brought the SUV to a gentle stop behind Rebekah's BMW and killed the engine. He could still smell Elena clinging to his skin faintly like a thin layer of the most exquisite perfume.

Closing his eyes he counted the beats of her sleeping heart and the rapid flutter of his daughter's; their daughter.

She was so small and innocent with no idea the amount of enemies she would inherit by virtue of her birth. They were countless and faceless; he could hardly remember the number. On top of his enemies she would inherit Elena's. Elena herself had few but she was often mistaken for Katerina and Katerina had a habit of messing with the wrong people.

He was going to do everything in his power to keep them both safe; even if it meant giving in.

Coming to a tentative decision he exited and flashed around the side of the car to unfasten her seatbelt and lift her into his arms: bridal style.

"Klaus?" She mumbled into his neck.

"Shh," he pushed the car door closed with his hip, "go back to sleep, love."

Elena mumbled something unintelligible and curled her fingers around his collar. Her grip grew slack and gave way when he pushed open the door of her bedroom and lowered her onto the mattress. She was sound asleep when he took her shoes and lifted the comforter over her shoulders.

He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead before flashing to the barn where he had first heard the rattle of chains.

* * *

She rolled her neck from side to side and attempted to lower her arms. Panic settled in her chest when she felt the cold chains holding her wrists in place. Her breath quickened when she tugged and found magic failed her.

Her wild eyes swivelled around the room until they landed on a tall man in a suit and a young blonde.

"Oh goodie," the blonde tilted her head and smiled, "you're awake."

Her eyes darted from the blonde to the man without recognition.

"Where am I?" She swallowed. "How did I get here? Who are you people?"

"Do you really expect us to fall for that?" Rebekah cocked an eyebrow. "Nik texted while we were on the way back Celeste, we know it's you."

"Rebekah," Elijah held up a hand and flashed in front of the bound woman. He caught her chin and peered into her defiant eyes. His pupils dilated as he searched for answers. "What is your name?"

"Sabine Laurent," she exhaled.

"What are your intentions towards my family?" He kept his voice calm.

"Since I have no idea who you are," she looked him up and down, "I have no 'intentions' for your family."

"Am I to take it you compelled her?"

Elijah looked over his shoulder to find his half-brother leaning in the open door. Fire flashed in his blue eyes.

"Yes," Elijah stepped back. "Am I to take it you kept me asleep for four months?"

"Water under the bridge," Klaus waved his hand.

"Perhaps, brother," Elijah stepped into his brother's space, "you might explain why you believed this woman was being possessed by Celeste."

"Because she was," Klaus growled. "She told Elena when she attempted to kill her and my daughter earlier tonight. If not for young Kaleb and Davina she might have succeeded."

"Well she's not now," Elijah motioned to Sabine. "Now she is a transitioning vampire."

"What?" Sabine's eyes widened. It explained why she couldn't use magic. Her outraged cry went unaddressed by the people she now took to be vampires.

"Which begs the question," Rebekah glanced at Sabine, "what happened to Celeste?"

"I should think the most obvious solution is the right answer," Sabine muttered while pulling on her chains.

"And what would that be, love?" Klaus glared at her.

Sabine blinked when she realized she had their full attention again. Her head tilted to the side; she swallowed as her throat began to burn.

"If she possessed me," she cleared her throat, "and intended to hurt your child she probably took… precautions. I'm assuming you killed her/me to prolong whatever torture you had in mind," she waited for the blond man's nod, "she might have anticipated that and had a spell in place to possess another witch."

* * *

Elena tucked a lock of wet hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep before waking and climbing in the shower; she didn't think it had been long though. By the looks of the empty house Klaus was still dealing with the witch.

She froze when she stepped into the kitchen and saw the man staring at his phone. It took her a second to realize why she recognized him and another to remember his name.

"Kaleb?"

He looked up from his phone when she spoke and nodded.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," she smiled, "and hungry; I can't remember the last time I ate."

"You've had a chaotic day," he chuckled.

"And in that chaos I didn't get a chance to thank you," Elena pulled a tub of yogurt from the fridge. "I was a little out of it, but I vaguely remember you doing something to stop the curse."

"I moved it," he nodded.

"Thank you," she met his eyes, "you saved my life and my little girl."

"You're welcome," he rubbed the back of his neck. "It was the least I could do after my coven kidnapped you."

Elena lapsed into silence as she ate half of the strawberry yogurt. One hand rubbed absentmindedly over her stomach.

"Why did they want Davina?" Elena peeked up through her lashes to find him staring at his phone screen again. "They were willing to kill an innocent baby."

"It's a long story," Kaleb frowned at the phone.

"Something interesting?" Elena arched an eyebrow.

"No," he shook his head and placed the phone face down on the counter, "just a death threat from Sarah."

Elena's mouth twisted when she heard the name. She had considered the woman a friend of sorts; it had stung finding her to be one of her captors.

"She had her reasons, Elena," Kaleb held up his hand when she glared. "I am not trying to justify what they did to you; I'm just saying she had, what she considered to be, a good reason."

"What could possibly make attempted murder alright?" Elena tossed the yogurt container in the trash.

"Sarah's little sister," Kaleb sighed, "was part of the same ritual as Davina, only she did die. The coven believes that if the ritual is completed the girls will come back."

"You don't?" Elena narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know what to believe," he inhaled slowly. "I know the ritual was working and that it was fueling the link we have to our ancestors." He tilted his head and exhaled. "I also know that the Elders lied about how it would be executed."

"Who's to say they weren't lying about us coming back?" Davina came to a stop in the door and watched them with bleary eyes.

* * *

Finn pushed open the door to the barn. His eyes widened. He was almost tempted to turn around and leave his arguing siblings where they were. Elijah had always coveted the responsibilities of the eldest anyway; in that moment he wasn't acting like it.

He rolled his shoulders back and leaned against the wall to listen to the ensuing squabble. It took remarkably little time to understand the root of the row: Celeste had vacated Sabine upon her death and his siblings were trying to decide what to do with the witch turned vampire.

Rebekah wanted to kill her. Elijah wanted to let her go since she had been nothing but a victim of Celeste. Klaus seemed to be torn between both arguments; that was the thing that astonished Finn the most.

Before being sentenced to the coffin Finn had watched the changes in his half-brother; he had grown reckless, vengeful, and angry and would not hesitate to slaughter anyone who crossed him. The times Finn had been able to hear Klaus' voice only made the impression stronger. He never would have expected Klaus to hesitate.

"Might I offer a suggestion?" Finn cleared his throat and tapped a manila envelope against his palm. He waited until their eyes snapped to him. "Her crime was against Elena; you might try asking her how she wants to proceed. Although…" He tilted his head to regard Sabine, "… if it is true I can guess what her answer will be."

* * *

Rebekah's eye narrowed when she was unable to lift her foot over the threshold of the house. Her palm slapped against an invisible barrier; she pounded against the clear wall and cocked an eyebrow when Klaus came to a stop beside her and smirked.

"What did you do?"

"Technically, Finn did it," he reached back and took the envelope from his eldest brother. He extracted an official looking form and passed it to Rebekah before knocking on the door.

"Was this necessary?" Elijah read the paper over his sister's shoulder.

"I offered Davina Claire my protection from witches and vampires," Klaus smirked when Elena came through the door to the kitchen, "as it was any vampire could stride into the house at any time." His smirk turned to a smile when Elena stopped a few feet away and eyed them all with confusion. "Elena, love," he chuckled, "it seems we require an invitation."

* * *

It had taken him remarkably little time to locate Agnes. He assumed because she was unaware of the turn of events in the swamp and as such had not gone to ground.

He watched her for a few minutes as she stood outside the cemetery. He had contemplated leaving bits of her artfully arranged outside her family tomb as a message: 'don't mess with my family'. Unfortunately he could not enter the cemetery; he could not pass the gate and he had no intention of bringing this woman within a mile of Elena. If he had his way he would have kept them in separate states.

It was alright though; torture was reserved for Celeste when he managed to locate her again.

That didn't mean he didn't enjoy the frenzy in her eyes or the fear in her blood.

He snapped her neck for good measure and used his thumb to gather the red trickle leaking from the corner of his mouth.

"Toodle loo, Agnes," he stepped over her body and flashed away.

* * *

She slid her arm beneath her pillow and burrowed further into the blankets without opening her eyes. She didn't want to move; the bed was insanely comfortable. She could have easily slept for days; it certainly helped that there was a warm body stretched out behind her.

She inhaled slowly before opening her eyes. She blinked in surprise and lifted her hand tentatively. Her fingers brushed the cold silver before closing around the handle and lifting the dagger.

"What is this?" She looked over her shoulder to find Klaus watching her carefully.

"You know exactly what that is, love," his hand smoothed over the curve of her hip. He dropped his chin and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "There is a hidden cellar behind a shelf in the pantry."

Elena put the dagger back on the nightstand and rolled onto her back.

"What is this incredulous look for?" He brought his hand up from her hip to cup her cheek; his thumb traced the sceptical set of her mouth. "I am certain I'm correct in my assumption that the knowledge Celeste is possibly still at large will not confine you to the house."

Elena nodded. She was not about to stop living just because somebody wanted her dead; she'd never let it stop her before.

"In that case," he rolled his eyes, "I needed someone who could keep an eye on you and protect you when I couldn't; preferably without turning heads when you are at school."

"So you woke Kol?" Elena blinked slowly.

"I woke Kol," he nodded. "I'd also like to point out that I did not give in first," his lips quirked up in a smirk.

"Tactless of you to remind me," Elena attempted a serious expression; it dissolved into amusement a second later.

"I never pretended to be a gentleman, sweetheart," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Elena shook with a silent laugh and bit her bottom lip.

"Where is Kol then?" She adjusted her head on the pillow.

"Outside, in the barn until he wakes up," he slid his fingers through her dark waves.

"Elijah?"

"Outside, in the barn," he smirked, "dealing with the newly turned." He pressed his finger to her lips before she could ask. "Davina is still asleep down the hall. Kaleb is creating a daylight ring for Sabine. And Rebekah is attempting to hunt down Celeste and the witch who pretended to be your friend with the aid of Finn."

"A busy household," Elena exhaled. Her hand slipped from under the blanket and wrapped around his wrist.

"It seems to grow every time I open my eyes," he chuckled. A line appeared between his brows when she dragged his hand down and pressed his palm to the right side of her bump just below her belly button. His eyes darted to where their hands were together beneath the bedspread when he felt it.

"She started doing that last night," Elena smiled at the decisive kick that pressed against his strong hand. "I tried to stay awake until you got back from…" she trailed off when she thought of where he had gone the previous night. "I guess I fell asleep," her smile was small.

"If it's any consolation," he whispered against her hair, "she didn't suffer. I would have loved to have made her suffer, but I will be preserving that energy for Celeste."

Elena nodded. She wouldn't stop him from harming the real Celeste; honestly she would probably help him if given the opportunity.

"That helps," she murmured.

Klaus smiled when he heard the gentle rumble of her stomach. "Come on, love," he helped her sit up, "time for breakfast."

* * *

"How long has it been?" Kol drained the bag of blood and paced over the straw strewn floor. "How long did he keep me asleep?"

The little colour he had drained when he spotted a slim brunette curled in the porch swing with a book. A blanket was draped over her body.

"Oh bloody hell," Kol flashed across the yard and saw her eyes grow round. "Nik made good on his promise, didn't he? What's it been: five hundred years or a thousand?"

She marked her page and closed the book.

"How many doppelgangers have come and gone?" He paced over the deck.

"You are such a drama queen," she scoffed.

Kol froze momentarily before flashing in front of her and pulling the blanket from her body.

"Elena?"

"I've said it before," Elena glared and reached for the blanket, "and I'll say it again: don't be so melodramatic. It was only four months." She covered her abdomen and legs again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... baby names... it's time to start thinking of them. This is the list I had for DWTH I don't want to use Grace or Faith again, and Sarah is definitely out of the question: Charlotte, Sophia, Abigail, Claire, Victoria, Grace, Faith, Joy, Lucy, Sarah, Nina, Quinn, Daisy, Rose, Violet, Hope and Lily.
> 
> So many names... luckily I've got time to sort that out I just thought I'd start putting feelers out now for names. What do you guys think? I'll take suggestions to.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> Phew... it's been a crazy busy week. I was going to type this one up last night, but I got busy as is often the case. Sorry for the delay in updates.

November seemed to pass in a blur of colour. It happened when people fell into a routine.

Davina had been living at the plantation for a month. She had become good friends with Elena in that time. She wasn't much older than Elena had been when she lost her parents and her life was plunged into the supernatural world.

If Elena hadn't hated the Quarter witches before for what they had tried to do to her she definitely would have after learning of the Harvest.

Davina had told Elena about how she had helped Marcel control the witches; her advanced powers made it so she knew when someone was using magic and who that person was. Usually the perpetrator didn't live long before Marcel of one of his crew killed them; there had been a zero tolerance policy in the Quarter.

What surprised Elena most was that there had been no sign of witch activity since the teenager had come in to Klaus' care; nothing she could see, and nothing Davina could sense. That led Elena to believe the witches still thought Davina was in Marcel's clutches and that the only member of the coven who knew the truth was Kaleb and the former witch Sabine.

The young warlock had been shunned for turning on his people to help Elena; for siding with vampires. He didn't seem overly bothered by it, but perhaps that was because he had thrown himself headlong into teaching Davina control with the help of Sabine.

Sabine had struggled with the initial transition. She might have struggled still if not for Elijah's help and her newfound mission to bring Davina control over her increasingly uncontrollable powers. She seemed to hate the coven as much as Davina and Kaleb. Elena couldn't exactly blame Sabine; none of her supposed friends had noticed that she was being possessed.

Rebekah had elected to stay in the city when she learned of her niece. She told her brothers she couldn't let them outnumber Elena – which may or may not have led to a very confusing and hot dream that had her waking Klaus in the middle of the night; she blamed the hormones – and the baby. Elena had seen it in Rebekah's eyes the day she had felt her niece kicking; she was excited about being an aunt.

Elena was certain between Klaus and Rebekah the baby would be spoiled rotten. Kol was certain to teach her his mischievous ways. Thankfully Finn and Elijah were calming influences so hopefully, fingers crossed, she wouldn't be the only one playing bad cop from time to time.

She knew their daughter would have Klaus wrapped around her little finger; she already did and she hadn't even been born yet.

Elena had collapsed in a fit of giggles when she returned from the campus the previous week with Rebekah. They had found four Originals surrounded by pieces of wood and frowning at the instructions for a crib that were supposedly in Swedish, but Klaus, Elijah and Kol had assured her that the booklet was complete gibberish and that they were not, in fact, to blame for the mess on the floor or the broken window; Finn had told her he didn't know Swedish as he had been asleep when the rest had learned. Rebekah had sighed, said they were 'all bloody useless' and proceeded to assemble the crib; it took her ten minutes at a human pace to which her brothers had all insisted that they 'could have done that'.

Kol pulled her from her thoughts when she giggled. "Something funny, darling?"

"No," Elena covered her mouth to stifle her laugh, "I was just remembering your attempt to build the crib last week."

"We didn't need Rebekah's help," he scoffed and puffed out his chest.

"Right," Elena drew out the word and smirked. "How long were you staring at the instructions again?" She saw him deflate from the corner of her eye. "That's what I thought."

"Did you have to come in today?" Kol quickly changed the topic and nodded to the nearly empty campus. "It's a ghost town."

"Technically I could have emailed my last paper," a chill raced down her spine, "but things seemed a little tense this morning so I thought I'd get out for the afternoon."

"You picked up on that huh?" Kol pulled open the door to the history building.

"If by 'that' you mean the daggers Klaus and Rebekah were glaring at each other," Elena pushed the button for the elevator, "then yes. What's going on with those two? They weren't like that yesterday."

"You really want to know?" He cocked his head and smirked. "Nik found out Rebekah's been seeing her ex-lover, and he's not happy about it."

"Why not?" Elena pushed the button for the fourth floor. "Did he break her heart?"

"Nik never thought he was good enough for her," Kol leaned against the elevator wall and slid his hands into his pockets.

"Klaus doesn't think anyone's good enough for her," Elena rolled her eyes.

"I suppose there could be more to it," Kol shrugged one shoulder, "or he's just blowing things out of proportion. He does get a little testy around the full moon."

"Really?" Elena smirked. Her pulse quickened when she thought of how Klaus had woken her that morning. "I would have said feral."

Kol caught the twinkle in her eyes, smelt the desire in her blood and heaved an exaggerated sigh.

"I did not need to know that," he shuddered dramatically, "we sound proofed the house for a reason."

Elena's laugh was cut off. She stumbled when the elevator came to a lurching stop between the second and third floor.

Kol's arms moved in a blur to catch her. He steadied her with and arm around her waist and held her against his chest when the metal box began to shake.

She righted her feet, released his arm and blinked at the little emergency light; it was the only illumination in the otherwise dark elevator. The tiny red light cast an eerie glow across her skin.

"You know," she patted her stomach, "three months from now this might have been the start of a bad sitcom episode."

"Hilarious," he paled at the thought, "but don't go into labour. I'm not delivering my niece in an elevator."

"In the aftermath of an earthquake," she muttered. A line appeared between her brows when she caught the look on Kol's face. "I'm not going to go in labour Kol."

"What?" His head snapped from the doors to look at her. "I know that," he waved dismissively. "I'm not worried about that. It's the earthquake."

"Worried about aftershock?" Elena attempted to lighten his mood. Fear gripped her throat; they were only suspended by a couple of cables. Would the fall from this height kill her?

"No," he shook his head. He reached for her hand and held on until her heart began to slow down again. "The earthquake was after the elevator stopped."

"You're not getting paranoid are you?" Elena blinked. "I get enough of that from Klaus."

Kol gave her a curious glance. He couldn't argue that his brother was not a paranoid person; he often thought that everyone was out to get him. Kol was mildly surprised that Elena had managed to pick up on it though; Klaus had dialed it back a lot so that even his siblings struggled to see it. Who knew what went on behind that bedroom door when it was closed though?

"Don't get me wrong," she held up her hand, "I'm glad of the company, but I hardly need an Original following me everywhere I go."

"If I hadn't been here today you would have fallen flat on your face," he reached out and rubbed her stomach, "and my poor niece would have been squished."

Elena rolled her eyes and shook with a quiet laugh when the baby kicked Kol's hand; she only kicked harder when he bent and scolded her bump in a teasing tone.

"Don't kick me until you're out; it'll have a stronger impact."

* * *

_"… My poor little niece would have been squished."_

Sensitive ears picked up on the conversation happening in the otherwise empty building. The original assumption that what his strong eyes had seen was wrong flew from through the darkened halls and out the shattered window.

The woman's voice was familiar, soft and well known; it was a voice that had been ingrained in his memory.

"So much for the plan," he breathed.

The only question was: how dangerous would winging it be? He was going to have to get a lot farther a lot faster than anticipated.

* * *

He came to a stop when he reached the worn down shack. It was a perfect match for the one in Elena's memory. The outside resembled a hovel, but he could tell by the lace curtains that someone lived there while the wolves roamed.

Holding his hands behind his back he strode towards the cabin giving anyone inside the chance to see his approach.

His feet made hollow steps over the wooden deck. His knuckles wrapped on the door in time with the steady human heart.

"You know I'm not going to invite you in?" A blonde woman stood on the opposite side of the screen door. She cocked an eyebrow and pushed her braid over her shoulder.

"I've come to talk," he raised his hands, "and make an offer if you'll hear me out, Eve."

"You know my name," she tilted her head, "you gonna tell me yours?" She might not have triggered her curse but she knew a vampire when she saw one and this one was also part wolf.

"You know who I am," he raised a heavy brow.

"I know what you are," Eve stepped out onto the porch, "but I don't know your name; gossip doesn't really reach me out here."

"My name is Klaus," he offered his hand, "Elena told me your name the other night.

"Ah," she gave him a once over and ignored his hand. "You're the father." She grabbed the edges of her sweater and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

Klaus lowered his hand to his side and smiled. He admired the woman's no nonsense attitude; she didn't beat around the bush.

"One of your pack came to the aid of Elena last month. I've come to offer my heartfelt gratitude."

"Jackson's still a wolf," Eve met his eyes, "but I'll be sure to tell 'im you said thanks. You said something about an offer," she prompted with a raised brow.

"Yes," he nodded and glanced over his shoulder to a wolf along the edge of the clearing. "Elena informed me of your clan's curse. I brought these for Jackson," he pulled two vials from his pocket, "as a possible cure."

"Blood?" Eve lifted the slim glass to the afternoon sun.

"Yes," he nodded once.

"How stupid do you think we are?" She looked up from the vials. "Every wolf in New Orleans has heard about the sire bond that comes with turning."

"No sire bond," he met her sceptical eyes, "you have my word. Should Jackson choose to take my blood," he tapped the first vial that had been labeled with initials, "and complete the transition," he nodded to the vial of Elena's blood, "I will not hold him to the bond; he will be released."

"Why are you doing this?" Her eyes were narrow when she scrutinized him for and sign of deceit.

"He tried to help her. If I hadn't heard him talking to her I might not have found Elena in time." He cleared his throat and looked out over the lake; he could have lost them both that night. "The choice is his of course, but I hope you'll relay the message."

Before Eve could reply the ground beneath their feet shook violently. Tremors raced up their legs. The furniture in the small shack rattled and something fell and shattered.

Eve saw it in his eyes when he helped her to her feet again; she nodded once and saw him disappear before her eyes.

* * *

Rebekah flashed across the quaking street and pulled a small child and his mother out of the way of the crashing awning. From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Marcel moving a couple of school children into a safe location.

The earthquake seemed to stop as suddenly as it began.

* * *

Kaleb rubbed soothing circles between Davina's shoulder blades and did his best to ignore the rattling house and shattering picture frames.

He saw his fear reflected in Sabine's eyes when he looked up from the dirt that had come from Davina's body. He could feel the fire of a fever beneath her translucent skin.

Maybe it was his pounding heart that told Finn and Elijah he knew what was happening, or maybe it was the trepidation in his eyes. He had hoped this wouldn't happen, but he knew that things were only going to get worse.

* * *

Klaus came to a stop outside the elevator doors where the scent of Elena and Kol cut off. He pried open the door and cursed when he saw the elevator twenty some feet above his head between the second and third floor.

It was a good thing the campus was empty because he didn't bother making sure the coast was clear before running at vampire speed and coming to a stop outside the elevator on the third floor.

His blood boiled in his veins when he saw the doors already forced open and Kol sitting up with a groan.

"What happened?" Rage dripped from his tongue. There was no sign of Elena in the elevator or outside of it.

Kol rolled his neck and blinked as if coming out of a daze. He loathed being daggered but he honestly preferred the wake up to that of a broken neck. His eyes narrowed when he saw the elevator empty and his brother glaring down at him.

"The door was pried open; that was the last thing I saw before my neck was snapped. Where's Elena?" He picked up her cell phone that had fallen onto the floor of the elevator and pulled himself out.

Klaus could barely breathe. He forced himself to inhale deeply though and shook; there was no lingering scent.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Kaleb rubbed his temples and sighed before doing quite possibly the most foolish thing he had ever done.

"The coven didn't take her," he snapped and bristled under the eyes that turned on him. "The only point in taking Elena would be for Davina. Davina," he was interrupted by the banging window shutters, "is the biggest problem at the moment. She is deteriorating rapidly and every witch in New Orleans knows it."

"If the coven took Elena they would have used her in a trade by now," Sabine nodded. "We need to take care of Davina, or it won't matter who took Elena because the only people left in this city will be the ones already dead."

"What solution would you suggest, Sabine?" Elijah held up his hand to signal Klaus to remain silent for the moment. He could see his younger brother's temper ready to let go.

"Kaleb can do a locator spell," Sabine pushed her hair behind her ear, "and I'll try to find a way to take care of Davina."

"You and I both know we can't fix this," Kaleb moved to pull a map from the desk. "There never was a way. Teaching her control was only ever going to buy her time. No one witch is meant to hold the power of four."

"I know," Sabine snapped. "All the more reason for you to do the spell now while you still have magic." She spun on her heel and marched from the room. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Elijah following.

The door opened before either of them could reach for it.

"Careful," Rebekah straightened her fly away hair, "there's some sort of hurricane out there."

* * *

"So," Elijah cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the building, "our problems are going to be solved by copious amounts of alcohol?"

"I don't think we've quite reached the point where we need to drink ourselves into a stupor," Sabine pushed her wild hair behind her ears to keep it from blowing in the wind. "We're here for a witch, and if I've got the identification of the other Harvest girls right then Sophie is the only witch that will help."

"What about the other one…" Elijah opened the door to a deserted Rousseau's, "… Sarah?"

"You think Klaus would trust her after what happened with Elena?"

"You make a fair point."

"I know I do," Sabine smirked, "that leaves us with Sophie." She followed her ears towards the kitchen where she could hear the very distinct sounds of drunken giggles and moans.

She crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto her left leg. Cocking an eyebrow she met Sophie's eyes over the shoulder of a man who could only be a body builder of some sort.

"Really Soph?" She flashed forwards and compelled the man to leave.

Sophie pouted and groaned.

"I don't suppose you know a quick way to sober someone up," Sabine turned to Elijah.

Silently Elijah filled a glass with water and pierced his thumb with his teeth. Three drops of blood fell into the water. He swirled the liquid before pressing it into Sophie's hand.

"You planning on killing me?" Sophie slurred and stared at the tainted water with unfocused eyes.

"No," Elijah moved the bottle of tequila when he saw Sophie looking at it longingly. "We need your help with something."

Sophie sighed before downing the glass of water. She blinked as her vision cleared and her head became more grounded. There was a brief moment where her head pounded before she was fine.

"What do you want, Sabine?" Sophie slammed down her glass and leaned back so she was braced on her palms.

"Like he said," Sabine sighed, "we need your help. Surely you've noticed what's going on."

"Why do you think I'm drinking and sleeping my way through the city?" Sophie laughed humourlessly. "Accept the very real fact that hope is lost. Davina is dying and my niece is dying with her."

"The only way to save them all is to complete the Harvest."

Elijah turned around to find a young woman with red hair and dark eyes. He hadn't officially met her, but Elena had pointed her out one day when he had met her at the university.

"Yes, Sarah, I know the only way was to complete the Harvest which I never would have done without Davina's consent and even if she were to agree it can't be completed because there are no more elders."

"The elder issue can be resolved," Sophie drew in a deep breath. "An elder can be made of anyone by consecrating the body of a powerful witch. The real problem is getting to Davina since she is still in the custody of Marcel and his army."

Sabine froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she processed the information. Sophie didn't seem to notice, she just kept talking.

"Consecrate the bones of a powerful witch to the earth and the person who does it becomes an elder. The elder could then complete the Harvest."

"Then why don't we do that?" Elijah cocked an eyebrow. He had gotten to know Davina over the past month. She was a lot like Elena. Something told him that she would sacrifice herself to save her friends in the city; especially now that it was clear she was going to take the entire city out with her. "The ritual was working, was it not?"

Sophie tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling. "There are two problems with that," Sophie sighed. "Number one," she lifted a finger, "we don't have access to Davina and Marcel will not give her up easily. And two… there are no powerful witches left to consecrate."

"Are you sure about the consecration?" Elijah cast a quick look to Sabine.

"Positive," Sophie nodded, "I started digging after your brother killed Agnes. There was a time when all of the elders were killed and my people were desperate. They made new elders by consecrating the bones of the old, but there are no New Orleans witches left to bury."

* * *

Kaleb's pulse slammed in his neck. The anger roared through him. This was possibly the easiest spell in the world. He shouldn't have had any trouble locating Elena with magic and Klaus' blood, but he was retrieving no results.

"Damn it," he cursed. His hands slapped down over the map; the blood refused to move.

"Well," Klaus paced before the fire place, "where is she?" His heart was pounding in his chest. He feared it was in danger of stopping again. His voice rose when Kaleb remained silent. "Where the bloody hell is she?"

Kaleb took a step back in the face of the hybrid's anger. He was immensely grateful when Rebekah stepped in her brother's path.

"Try to calm down," she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Whoever took her will likely want to use her to get to you; that means she is safe for the time being."

"Unless it was Celeste," Klaus growled.

"I'm certain that Celeste," Finn looked up from the map, "wherever she may be is more concerned with the eminent loss of her magic then getting even with you."

"Besides," Kol turned towards the door when he heard the click, "she'd want you to see the devastation she brings." He nodded to Elijah and Sabine. "What did you find out?"

"There might be a way to save Davina," Elijah looked between his siblings.

"That might be the only way to find Elena," Kaleb cleared his throat. "Davina's hemorrhaging magic. I can't find Elena because there's too much interference."

"Then how do we save Davina?" Klaus turned to his older brother. His eyes narrowed when the priest rounded the corner. "And what is Father Kieran doing here?"

Elijah's eyes darted towards the priest before he explained the situation. They could create an elder by consecrating a witch.

"Now we happen to have a powerful witch in the family," he looked to his half-brother, "Niklaus has been keeping her in a coffin in the basement. We merely need to bury her as a New Orleans witch."

"One problem with that plan," Rebekah shook her head and perched on the edge of the desk, "in order to be a witch in New Orleans she or a member of her family needs to own property…"

"We cannot," Elijah nodded, "but Niklaus' child can. He signed this house over to Elena; by extension it belongs to the baby as well."

Sabine blinked and pressed her lips into a thin line. It was just crazy enough to work.

"That's why you rushed me out of there so fast?" She turned to Elijah.

"Yes," he nodded. "We need Father Kieran here to bury mother, and a witch to consecrate her." His eyes shifted to focus on Kaleb.

"Me?" He held a hand to his chest.

"I actually like that plan," Klaus nodded. "I don't trust anyone else with that kind of power."

"Before all of that we need to talk to Davina," Kaleb shook his head. "I'll consecrate your mother, but I will not drag a knife across Davina's throat without her consent."

"I'll run and fetch mother, shall I?" Klaus pushed past his siblings and headed towards the basement.

* * *

"Davina," Kaleb slipped into the bedroom. He paled and rushed to the bed when she lurched sideways and vomited. "Water…" he breathed.

Davina coughed violently. Ice cold water flowed up from her lungs out her mouth and onto the hardwood floors. Fear gripped her heart. She had hoped the rumors she had heard were just that, but she knew she was dying. Just like she knew she was going to take everyone in the city with her.

"Davina," Kaleb rubbed circles between her shoulders, "it's alright," he could feel her body tremble beneath his hand.

"No," she sobbed, "it's not. I'm dying."

"I know," he nodded. "We've found a way to stop this…" he waved to the window.

"The only way to stop it is if I die," Davina held her arms and shivered.

"The Harvest was working Davina," Kaleb hesitated. He pressed his palm to her warm brow. "Finishing it might just save you."

"It can't be finished," she shook her head and sniffled, "Agnes is dead."

Kaleb shifted on the side of the bed and met her blue eyes. "We found a way to fix that," he glanced at the window when it was splattered with rain. He couldn't see the tree that rested three feet from the glass anymore. "There's a way to make an elder. The Originals are currently burying their mother; they want me to consecrate her and become an elder."

"They want you to kill me," Davina's shoulders shook.

"They suggested it."

She pressed her lips together for a moment before nodding and sighing.

"I'm dying anyway," she explained in a whisper, "the only question is how many people I take with me. At least this way I might come back."

"Are you sure about this?" Kaleb swallowed. He blinked when she squeezed his arm.

"It's alright Kaleb," she sniffed, "you saw it working; you're not killing me."

_What if I am?_ He closed his eyes and nodded. Climbing to his feet he turned towards the door. "I'll leave you with Sabine, then," he cleared his throat and passed the vampire in the door, "it appears I have a witch to consecrate."

* * *

Kaleb held his breath and raked the wet hair out of his face. From the corner of his eyes he saw the Mikaelsons standing around the stone in the cemetery. Sabine had told Sophie what was happening so she could invite the vampires into the burial grounds; they had needed to be present for the spell since they were Esther's only living descendants. They had only needed to be present for the consecration but they had stayed for Davina.

They had all seen the power flow out of Davina's body and into the earth where it had always been meant to go. They were waiting now with baited breath.

The ritual had worked.

Klaus, with his hybrid ears, was the first to hear the shift. It started out small before the hearts of the four girls started again at once.

Kaleb dropped the ceremonial knife and released a relieved sigh before pulling Davina into a tight hug.

"Monique," Sophie rushed forward and pulled her niece into a fierce embrace.

"Aunt Sophie?" Monique blinked and looked around the cemetery. "Where's my mom?"

Sophie paled. She had been dreading the prospect of having to tell Monique what had happened to Jane Anne; her sister had tried desperately to save her only child and had gotten caught using magic.

Cassie and Abigail sat up and looked around at the deserted grounds. Their families should have been there, but there was no one in sight aside from the vampires they didn't know.

Sophie closed her eyes and took a deep breath before helping the three girls from the cemetery. She didn't relish the prospect of explaining that all three girls were now orphans and that only Cassie's older sister remained alive, but the task appeared to have fallen to her.

Klaus watched them go before striding forward and clapping Kaleb on the shoulder.

"Not that I'm not enjoying the heartfelt reunion," he struggled to keep his voice even, "because I am thrilled Davina is alive again, but Elena is still missing."

"Elena's missing?" Davina blinked. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"You were a little preoccupied," Kol offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. "Come on, love. We'll take you home and you can get cleaned up."

* * *

Davina emerged from her room and blinked tiredly before making her way to the study where she could hear raised voices. She looked between Kaleb and Klaus when she stood in the doorway and listened to the very loud conversation.

"Why can't you find her?"

"It's not like I'm not trying," Kaleb pointed to the mess of blood on the map. It had spilled out to cover the entire country. "Whoever took her is cloaking her."

Davina stepped down into the room and approached them. "Maybe I can help."

"Breaking through a cloaking spell is no easy task," Kaleb warned her.

"I know," she nodded, "but two witches are better than one."

Kaleb nodded and pulled out a fresh map before settling on the floor with Davina and Klaus' blood. His shoulders stiffened under Klaus' heavy gaze.

"It's very hard to concentrate with you hovering," Kaleb looked back over his shoulder.

"Niklaus," Elijah called from the doorway. "Give them some space. If someone is cloaking Elena that means she's alive."

Klaus' eyes narrowed, but he nodded all the same and stormed from the room.

* * *

"Why isn't she awake yet?"

"I compelled her," he leaned over the back of the couch to look down at the sleeping brunette, "she was struggling so I made her sleep."

"And how do we wake her up? I want some answers."

"That's quite simple, I compelled her to sleep until I told her to," he bent and spoke in a tight voice against her ear: "wake up, Elena."

* * *

She hummed and arched her back. The grogginess faded slowly. While she waited for consciousness to completely return she rolled over onto her side and reached for her pillow.

Her face scrunched up. Her pillow wasn't under her head. The material was not soft but smooth like leather. Her bed was not made of leather. Who in their right mind would make a bed out of leather?

Grunting softly she squeezed her eyes shut and sniffed. She was met with the smell of burning wood. Her first thought was that she had fallen asleep in the library before the fire, but that flew from her head quickly. Klaus wouldn't have left her asleep downstairs; he would have carried her up to her bed.

"Come on, Elena," a familiar voice sounded close to her ear. "Time to wake up."

Her eyes snapped open. She blinked blearily at clear green eyes before looking around. The dark wood and soft leather were well known to her; a year ago it would not have been unheard of for her to be half naked on one of these couches.

She sat up and winced before holding her belly. There was a sore spot under her hand; she lifted her shirt to find a white bandage pressed to her skin with a small perfect circle of blood. Her eyes darted to the coffee table where a large syringe sat; she didn't have to ask to know that it was full of her blood, and what looked very much like amniotic fluid.

Anger coursed through her veins. She moved slowly to swing her legs onto the floor and held her stomach. Fire flashed in her dark eyes.

"What did you do to me?" Rage dripped from her voice.

"I needed to prove a theory," a taut voice sounded behind her.

The only thing that kept Elena from lunging at Tyler was her very sore stomach. Tiny cramps seized her abdomen. She leaned back on the couch and lifted her shirt again. The pain and cramps faded moments after they started.

"Let's get her some blood," Bonnie passed the syringe to Tyler. "If you're wrong and Damon's right then you could have hurt her baby with this."

Elena blinked when Stefan pressed a glass of water into her hands and dissolved some of his blood in the liquid. She downed it quickly even though the pain had faded completely and gave him back the glass.

She slapped his hand away when he reached for the bandage.

"Don't touch me," she glared at him. Her fingers deftly pulled the bandage from her healed stomach.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... here we go.
> 
> 1\. Celeste is still alive and kicking in another witches body. However that witch was not aware that the Harvest was being completed so she was not present to hijack the power for her own ends.
> 
> 2\. Davina was hemorrhaging magic which made finding Elena nearly impossible. This was only partially because Kaleb was searching within New Orleans.
> 
> 3\. It took several hours to deal with what was happening with Davina. By the time it was taken care of Tyler had enough time to compel himself onto a plane with Elena and get her to Bonnie who cast a cloaking spell to hide her.
> 
> 4\. She's about to get real mad now that she knows her baby is alright.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Someone asked me about nobody pointing out putting Esther amongst the ancestors was a bad idead because she wants them dead. That was because they don't know she wants them dead. I think I said it earlier in another note but I'll just remind everyone. Esther was never woken up in this reality; as far as her children are concerned she is still their loving mother. And in terms of Bonnie I think she was only channeling that power for certain spells; if I have it right it didn't reside in her all the time like it did with Davina.

Elena waited approximately five minutes; at least she thought it was five minutes, to allow Stefan's blood to take effect. She had a theory about why her pain subsided before she had been given the blood, but she was not going to risk her daughter's life on a hunch. So she waited in silence and glared at her 'friends'.

She sat with her arms crossed over her stomach and glared daggers at her ex-boyfriend, his brother and Bonnie. If looks could kill they would have been rotting on the floor of the boarding house. She would have cast the same heated glare on Tyler if he hadn't left the room; she would have gone after him if she were not so afraid for her child who had yet to start kicking again.

The tension grew between them until the air all but crackled with electricity. Elena might have let it go on a little longer just so she could watch the Salvatores sweat if her attention had not been grabbed by Tyler and a strange man.

"Who are you?" Her spine straightened.

"Elena," Tyler ushered the slim man forward, "this is Dwayne. He's a werewolf who agreed to help me test a theory."

Before she could even nod in acknowledgement Tyler shoved the syringe into Dwayne's neck, pressed the plunger and snapped his neck. She used her hand to stifle her shriek.

"What did you do?" Her eyes were round with horror. "Why would you… you killed him."

"He volunteered for this Elena," Tyler pointed to Dwayne, "don't get judgemental with me. He volunteered."

"You killed him," her voice was strained.

"Oh come off it, Elena," Tyler crossed his arms. "Dwayne is a werewolf who died with your blood in his system," he waved the syringe towards her stomach, "blood that you share with your hybrid baby. Yeah," he smiled tightly when her eyes widened, "I know the baby is Klaus'."

"This is ridiculous," Damon scoffed. The tension that had settled with Elena's rising anger had shifted with Dwayne's neck.

"For once I agree with you," Elena held her stomach protectively. Her nerves settled slightly when the baby kicked her palm. "You're trying to make him into a hybrid, and that's impossible."

"After Klaus took off after you," Tyler tilted his head, "I started running with some wolf packs around the country. One pack was in tight with this witch. She had some nightmare visions about your baby; of course I didn't know it was 'your' baby at the time. She said Klaus could use its blood to make an army of hybrid slaves."

Elena's eyes widened with disbelief. He wouldn't use their baby like that.

"Do you realize how crazy you sound?" Her brows shot up. "She's just a baby!"

"Perfectly normal baby girl," Damon grinned and patted her stomach. "I told you the moment you brought her here with this crazy theory."

"Maybe you're right, Damon," Tyler nodded and backed towards the fireplace, "I hope you're theory is right because it's Elena."

"What theory?" Elena slapped away Damon's hand.

"That Klaus caught up to you," he sat beside her on the couch, "had you inseminated and then compelled you to think the kid was his so you wouldn't try to run off."

Elena made a choking sound in the back of her throat. She didn't get a chance to set the story straight before Stefan cut in.

"How do you explain what Kol said in that elevator then?"

"Easy," Damon shrugged, "he's got his crazy siblings in on it. They're all pretending to keep her complacent."

"No they weren't," Elena shifted away from him. "This baby is Klaus', and he is going to be pissed. Do you know what he did to Elijah and Kol when they kidnapped me? Believe me it's going to be a lot worse for you." She was in the corner of the couch when she looked around the room. "How'd you even get me out of New Orleans?"

"There was some sort of magical hurricane going on," Tyler shrugged. "Everyone was too busy looking around there to look outside the city, and now Bonnie is cloaking you."

Elena turned to her witch friend before returning her gaze to Tyler.

"How are you so sure Klaus knows what the baby's blood will do?" She swallowed nervously and dropped her gaze to Dwayne. Tyler at least believed her about the baby's paternity.

"What do you think?" He shook his head. "Do you really believe that Klaus Mikaelson, killer of men, women, children, and puppies suddenly want to be a daddy?"

_He'd never hurt a child,_ Elena's mouth fell into a hard line.

"He's got an ulterior motive. Hybrids can walk in the sun and their bite is lethal to vampires." Tyler waved to Damon who had nearly died to a werewolf bite after the ritual. "Klaus could take over New Orleans in a week. Then what would stop him from taking over the world?" He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing; he would have an army of sired slaves."

Elena stood from the couch when the baby started kicking fiercely. She could almost hear the whisper: 'run, mommy'; which was ridiculous. If anything was telling her to run it was the intensity in Tyler's eyes.

She took shallow breaths and turned on her heel. Her fingers pushed her mussed hair back from her face as she walked from the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tyler flashed to stand in front of her.

"The bathroom?" She cocked her head to the side. "Can I do that Tyler? Can I go to the bathroom? Or am I your prisoner?"

Tyler took a step back from her heated glare; it sent a trickle of sweat down his spine.

"Of course not," he shook his head and stifled his discomfort.

"We're just trying to help you, Elena," Stefan took her elbow. "Come on…"

"Thank you," she snapped and pulled her arm free. "I remember where the bathroom is."

She stormed down the hall and slammed the bathroom door behind her. She was still seething when Damon's voice reached her through the wood.

_"The way I see it, this,"_  she heard the sound of a body being moved,  _"is irrelevant. Whether that kid is Klaus' or not doesn't matter."_

Hope rose in her chest. Was Damon going to help her?

_"The outcome is still the same. If the kid is his and it can make a hybrid then Klaus gets what he wants. If the kid isn't his it is still hers and Klaus gets what he wants."_

A line appeared between her brows. She saw the circles under her eyes in the mirror as she moved to the open window to take in some fresh air.

_"I can't let Klaus have his way. I won't let him make more hybrids."_

Elena's heart thundered in her chest.

_"I know, Tween Wolf. I don't want him getting his way either. The solution is simple. The kid has to die either way, and Elena has to turn; that way she can't continue her bloodline and Klaus never gets another doppelganger."_

_"You're talking about killing a baby Damon."_

_"I'm aware of what I'm suggesting Bon Bon. It's far better to Tyler's first idea to kill them both."_

Panic assailed her. Ice spread down her spine and sweat popped over her brow. She looked frantically around the bathroom for anything she could use to defend her baby; there was nothing inside that would work. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that the downstairs bathroom had been changed around.

Her eyes sought out the window again. It was wide and at waist length; more than big enough for her to shimmy through.

She could see the cars parked in the driveway. A strange sense of calm came over her when she saw Stefan's car. Didn't Stefan keep a spare set of keys in the glove compartment?

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and took heavy steps towards the sink. She waited until she heard the loud gasp of Dwayne coming around to turn on the water and slip out of her shoes.

She left the water running and stepped as lightly as she could back towards the window. Before she could second guess herself she took a deep breath and hoisted one leg through the window. Exhaling she brought her left knee up and did a hopping-shuffle to pull herself the rest of the way through.

Her feet were on the ground when she heard the loud thump.

She was halfway to the car when the side door of the house opened.

She squatted to pick up a large rock along the path when the first steps sounded and the pained cries reached her ears.

Elena came to a stop at the door to the car. She could see the locks in place but before she could lift the rock to break the window the lock flipped up.

She dropped the stone and pulled open the door while casting a suspicious look over her shoulder. Had Stefan upgraded the car? Had he added automatic locks? Was he leaving the house? Was  _he_ helping her?

She saw no sign of him or anyone on the front porch. The only sounds were Tyler yelling at the werewolf turned hybrid.

She slid into the car and pulled the door shut while reaching into the glove compartment.

* * *

Finn was certain Klaus was going to wear a hole in the carpet that he had been told was over three hundred years old. He had been pacing back and forth since Elijah had gotten him to leave Davina and Kaleb to their work.

"Niklaus," he tapped the side of the arm chair anxiously, "pacing is not going to solve anything."

"Maybe not," he paused and looked up, "but it seems to be the only thing I'm capable of doing at the moment." He returned to his rapid movements. "It's this or tearing Kol apart."

"I say let him pace," Kol crossed his arms, "he's only hurting the carpet."

"I'm going to go check on them," Sabine stood from the sofa she had been sitting on with Elijah.

She slipped from the room and stepped down into the library where Kaleb and Davina knelt over a large map.

"Are we looking outside New Orleans?" She bent and held her knees while watching the flow of blood.

"It broke away from the other map," Kaleb glanced up at her. "We needed a bigger space; whoever took her…"

"Took her out of the city," Davina finished. Her eyes followed the blood as it passed through the eastern United States: South Caroline, North Carolina. The red trail stopped at the border of Virginia and moved to border the state.

Sabine's eyes narrowed. She watched the blood appear to pulse before settling and pulsing again; it wouldn't move an inch further.

"What's happening?" She looked between Kaleb and Davina.

"The cloaking spell," Kaleb gritted his teeth. "We can't get any closer."

"I think we got pretty close," Davina tucked her hair behind her ears. "Surely he can narrow it down based on this."

* * *

"Elena?" Bonnie pounded on the door with her left hand and held a dish towel to her neck with her right. "Are you okay in there?"

She had been in there for nearly five minutes with the water running. Bonnie was a little afraid she had passed out.

"Here," Tyler pushed her aside, "move." He took hold of the door and prepared to knock it down.

"Hey," Damon took his shoulder and tossed him back towards the wall. "I'll thank you not to break my house apart." He grabbed a pen from the nearby table and took out the ink.

"While we're thanking you," Bonnie gave him a wry look and gestured towards her neck.

"What?" He shrugged. "There were three of us who could have pulled him off of you if things got hairy, and it worked. The baby made a hybrid. A lot easier than Klaus can."

"Yes," Stefan shook his head. "The child is not held back by 'grandma Original's' curse."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter. The plan is still the same." He pushed the small tube into the hole in the doorknob. "The baby has to die."

He gaped when the door swung inwards. The bathroom was empty. He rushed in and turned off the faucet. "Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know," Bonnie grumbled. "Maybe she made a run for it." She pointed to the open window. "Really Damon? That should have been the first thought."

"Well come on then," he stormed out of the bathroom. "She can't get far on foot."

He heard the sounds of Stefan, Tyler and the new hybrid Dwayne following him out onto the porch where he froze.

"Where the hell is my car?" Stefan gaped at the driveway and the spot he had parked.

* * *

Elena had to admit that she really admired the upgrades Stefan had made to the little Porsche. The little car had started with the softest of sounds, like a kitten purring. The tires had barely made a sound on the gravel; it was as if the car knew she needed to get out of the area quickly and quietly.

What she didn't like was the fact that Stefan hadn't topped up the tank. In a perfect world there would have been a full tank of gas and the oil change light would not have popped on after she had reached the town square.

She had only thought of getting away from her conspiring murderers, because that's what they were planning; they were planning on killing her baby and turning her. Each and every one of them knew she didn't want to be a vampire, and yet they planned on making her one and killing her child; her innocent, defenceless child who had never done anything against anyone just to spite Klaus.

She knew Klaus had enemies and that some of those enemies included people she had known since childhood and called friends, but she had hoped her friends wouldn't have reacted in such a way to her baby. She could see Stefan or Damon disregarding her feelings on the matter; they had done it many times in the past.

Tyler and Bonnie though… they were supposed to be two of her friends. She knew they didn't like Klaus, but the baby was hers too.

"Damn it," she slapped the steering wheel. A hysterical sob bubbled up in her throat. "Damn it, damn it, damn it," hot tears streaked down her cheeks.

The gas light had been on when she'd started the vehicle; it came to a stop now three streets from Maple.

She realized belatedly that she had driven passed her own house several minutes before. At what point had her first instinct been to seek out Klaus? That was the road she was on now; the road that would lead to the Original's mansion.

It was a further ten minute drive from where she was and she knew the car wouldn't make it; which didn't really matter because nobody was actually there.

Killing the engine she threw her head back against the seat and willed herself to stop crying. She wasn't going to do her or her baby any good sobbing in Stefan's car; in Stefan's easy to spot car.

She knew she had to move, but where could she go? Surely they had noticed her gone by now, and the first place they would look for her was her house. Wasn't it?

All three of them had an invite, and a threshold wouldn't stop Bonnie at all.

She climbed out of the car and turned to the left. She had gone three steps before registering the white house thirty feet away and the Ford Fiesta in the driveway.

Her heart drummed as she crossed the street and climbed the steps. Swiping away the tear tracks she released a shaky breath and rapped on the door.

She had to believe she still had friends in town that would help. She had to believe there were people that wouldn't instinctively say kill the baby. She had to have hope that not everyone was thinking like the Tyler, Bonnie and the Salvatores; they had been the only ones in the boarding house, so maybe they were the only ones who knew.

She was getting ready to knock again when the door swung open and she was staring through the mesh of the screen door.

* * *

Davina carried the map into the sitting room where the Originals were attempting to keep Klaus from falling completely apart. She swallowed and cleared her throat delicately before laying the paper on the coffee table.

"We couldn't get any closer," Kaleb nodded to the large shape. "All we know is she is somewhere in Virginia. The witch cloaking her is strong."

"That she is," Klaus muttered. He had spent very little time over the centuries in that particular state; Elena's home state. There were very few people that would dare cross him in Virginia.

From the corner of his eye he saw Elijah extracting his cell phone from an inner pocket.

* * *

Elena pressed the cordless phone to her ear and counted the rings while rubbing circles over her stomach. With each swipe of her palm she willed someone to pick up.

She wondered how anyone had remembered phone numbers before cell phones held their phone books full of contacts. She could only remember a single number, and that was only because she had written it down on a slip of paper so she could read it off to Jeremy.

* * *

Kol's eyes narrowed when he felt the incessant buzzing coming from his jacket. Reaching inside he frowned at the mobile and looked up towards Klaus.

"I thought Jeremy was the only other person with this number," he turned the screen around so they could see the Virginia area code flashing.

"He is," Klaus paused with his hand on the door. He didn't recognize the number. "Perhaps his phone died and he's memorized it."

"Should I answer?" Kol hopped in the car and closed the door.

"You want to tell Jeremy, who doesn't even know Elena is with us, that we lost his sister?" Klaus turned over the engine and tore out of the driveway the moment Elijah had closed the door.

"Not particularly," Kol frowned, "but he does still live in town."

"He would be able to reach her faster than we can," Elijah held out his hand for the phone.

"He's human," Klaus caught sight of Finn frowning after the speeding vehicle before he turned onto the road. "What exactly could he do?"

"She's in Mystic Falls, Nik," Kol passed the phone forwards, "she was likely taken by one of her friends; they wouldn't hurt her."

"Damon and Stefan tried to kill her," Klaus glared at Kol in the mirror. His foot was almost on the floor when he hit the highway.

"Slow down," Elijah cautioned. He frowned when the phone in his hand died before he could answer. "You'll cause an accident."

"Scared of a little car crash?" Klaus eased up a bit and jerked the car around a tractor trailer.

"I'm afraid you're going to send every vehicle on this road into an accident, kill an unknown number of people and slow us down," Elijah pulled out his own phone. "Kol, do you remember what the number was?"

Kol shook his head. All he remembered was the area code.

"Damn," he sighed.

Klaus narrowed his eyes and glared at the road while imagining the many creative ways he would tear her captors apart.

* * *

"Any answer?"

Elena shook her head and hung up the phone. She accepted the glass of water and box of tissues. Sipping the water she dried her eyes and balled up the tissue.

"Do you remember any other numbers?"

She shook her head again and pressed her trembling lips together.

"Okay," the glass was lifted from Elena's hands, "it's alright. You're safe here."

"Really," Elena's voice cracked with a hysterical giggle, "how many vampires have an invitation to this house? Cause I'm pretty sure all three of them can cross your threshold."

"That's true," she pulled Elena into her arms and ran a hand soothingly through her hair. "There aren't many houses in town that would be safe for you right now."

Elena shook her head. She drew in a shaking breath and reached for the phone again. Her thumb punched in the numbers from memory; she was answered on the second ring.

_"Hello?"_

Elena's mouth opened but all that came out was a strained squeak. She sniffled when the phone was lifted from her hand.

"Jeremy? Can you come over here?" She had seen the numbers Elena pushed.

_"Sure, is something wrong?"_

"Your sister needs you," Caroline hung up the phone before he could ask any questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena has some sense of self-preservation. She knew she couldn't take two vampires, a hybrid and a witch; she would have done well to take just one of them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Jeremy shoved his arms into his jacket and reached for the keys. His hand was nearly on the doorknob when his cellphone vibrated in his pocket with a message from Caroline.

**Caroline – Don't tell anyone where she is.**

He puzzled over the message and tore open the front door of the house. He was opening the car when the metal was pushed from his hand and slammed closed.

"Hello, baby Gilbert," Damon leaned against the car and adjusted his jacket. "You haven't seen your sister have you?"

"Not in seven months," Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Heard from her?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Not since yesterday," Jeremy's annoyance flared. "She called in the morning; she'll probably talk to me later. Why?"

"You know," Damon shrugged, "just trying to find her."

"You know she doesn't want to be found," Jeremy pushed his shoulder and climbed into the car. "Leave my sister alone. She left town for a reason."

He backed out of his driveway and headed towards the center of town. Extracting his phone he dialed with one hand and putting the phone on speaker.

"I just lied to Damon," he drove through the town square and stopped outside the Grille, "why am I not telling anyone she's in town?"

_"We'll explain when you get here."_

"That might be a problem," he glanced in his rear view mirror. Switching the phone to his other hand he flipped on the radio and turned it up full blast before lifting the phone to his ear. "Can you still hear me?" He kept his voice low.

_"Yeah."_

"Good," he tapped the steering wheel. "Damon followed me from the house. I don't think he believed me. What does she need?"

_"You, but I'd think she'd settle for a phone number if you can provide one."_

"From?"

_"An Original. Any Original."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Jeremy disconnected the call and climbed out of the car. He locked the Jeep behind him and ran a hand through his hair. His feet seemed to move of their own accord.

He had no idea why Elena would need the number of an Original vampire, but he did know the only person in town who was likely to have one.

The bell jingled when he entered the Grille. It was still ringing when he approached the bar and waved to Matt. He was going to explain before he caught sight of Damon in the bar mirror.

_Are you fucking serious?_  Jeremy rolled his eyes and reached for a napkin. Leaning over the bar he snatched a pen and scrawled a hasty message.

"Hey, Jer," Matt leaned over the bar. "You know I can't serve you right?"

"Ha-ha," he lifted his gaze and turned the napkin around. "Just wanted to order a burger and fries to go." He gave a pointed look to the paper.

Matt read the warning in Jeremy's dark eyes and saw the way his fingers pointed behind him to Damon who was slowly approaching the bar. He took the napkin without looking at it and sent the order in to the kitchen.

"Is there a reason you're following me, Dick?" Jeremy hopped onto a stool to wait for his order.

"Just thought I'd get a good day drunk going," Damon smirked before turning to Matt. "Bourbon, Quarterback."

"You ever think about calling somebody by their name?" Matt poured out a glass before leaving them and walking towards the kitchen.

When the door swung closed behind him he unfolded the paper napkin.

_Write Rebekah Mikaelson's number down and put it in the order._

* * *

Elena drummed her fingers over the countertop nervously and worried her bottom lip. She was wracking her brain for any number when Caroline set some crackers and peanut butter in front of her.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "Mom's been working round the clock, and I just came home for the weekend spontaneously so there's not much for groceries. I'd run out and get something if I wasn't afraid they'd come for you."

Caroline had felt nervous enough leaving the house to move Stefan's car into her garage. She'd had to add some gas from a jerry can her mom kept for the lawnmower.

"I didn't expect anything at all, Care. You didn't have to get me anything." Elena managed a small smile and spread a small amount of peanut butter over a cracker. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the first bite hit her tongue.

"You are eating for two now, Elena," Caroline hopped up on the stool beside the brunette, "and I could hear your stomach growling. When was the last time you ate?"

Elena licked the peanut butter from the roof of her mouth and washed it down with a sip of milk. When she was certain her voice wouldn't come out garbled she opened her mouth.

"It was before Tyler kidnapped me," she closed her eyes and savored the sweet taste. "This is amazing."

"You just haven't eaten in a while," Caroline smiled. Her amused grin dropped slightly. She toyed with the edge of her sweater before lifting her eyes to Elena. "Don't hate me, please, but I've got to ask."

Elena straightened on her stool and lowered the cracker to the plate.

"We're you compelled at all?"

"Once," Elena pressed her lips together and held her stomach. "Elijah sent Kol after us in Greece; he was trying to help me. Klaus didn't trust Kol with me so he gave me vervain. It made me sick," she lowered her eyes to her belly button.

"It would have," Caroline nodded, "if the baby's half vampire."

"It did," Elena sighed, "I threw up the vervain ten minutes after leaving with Kol for a night club and he compelled me to sleep. Elijah gave me blood on the plane when I was still sick upon waking up. They rushed me to a hospital in Scotland when I was sick again a moment later and I fainted; that's how we found out about…"

"The demon spawn?" Caroline supplied with a small smile which brought a soft laugh to Elena's lips.

"You and Rebekah would get along so well," Elena tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Not quite," Caroline sobered up. She needed to know the extent of everything. "You told me Tyler made a hybrid with the baby's blood."

Elena stiffened. Her eyes grew hard as she backed away marginally and held her stomach protectively.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she held up her hands. "You're my friend; I won't hurt you or your baby. I just want to know how sure you are that Klaus doesn't know about what the baby can do. Are you certain he's not planning on… well… doing exactly what they accused him of?"

Elena licked her lips and blinked a few times before sighing.

"I didn't run away, Care." She met the blonde's eyes. "Klaus took me, and he kept me away when I wanted to stay. I was about two days from asking him for help when Stefan tried to drive me off Wickery bridge; that was the night he packed my bags and stole me away. I chose to stay with him knowing exactly what he wanted from me."

"A hybrid army," Caroline nodded. "That's what he always said."

"Yeah," Elena nodded slowly. "Here's the thing though: I've been with Klaus for seven months now, save the few days where I was with his brothers, and he hasn't made a single hybrid." She reached for Caroline's hand and pressed it to her left side. "Klaus wants this baby because she's his baby. He doesn't have any ulterior motives. If he wanted an army, if he wanted to conquer New Orleans or the world for that matter he could have; he had me."

Caroline smiled when the baby kicked her hand. Logically she knew Elena was right and that if she hadn't been so afraid of what their 'friends' would have done she would have told them that. The Salvatores might not have believed her, but Caroline had to have hoped that Bonnie at least would have seen reason.

"Who would have thought," she bit her bottom lip and smiled, "Klaus Mikaelson: a daddy?" Her lips lifted in a sudden smirk.

"What's so funny?" Elena tilted her head.

"Nothing," Caroline shook her head and laughed. "I'm just picturing the almighty hybrid changing dirty diapers."

"That is an endlessly amusing image," Elena snickered. "Were those all your questions, Care?"

"I've just got one more," Caroline hopped off the stool and held up a finger, "and I need to ask it before I unlock the door for Jeremy."

"I'm not sure I'm going to like this," Elena looked the blonde up and down. The smirk on her lips made Elena feel a little flustered.

"Relax, 'Lena," Caroline leaned close and whispered, "we always ask each other this one. How was the sex?"

Elena blushed. Her heart thumped and sent heat down to curl at the base of her spine. Caroline was right; they always asked each other that. She had asked when Caroline started dating Tyler. Caroline had asked when she was with Matt, and then later with Stefan.

"The sex is amazing," she reached for the dropped cracker, "mind-blowing."

"Is?" Caroline backed away towards the door. She covered her giggle and spun to peer through the peephole before opening the door for Jeremy.

He waited until the door was locked and the chain was in place before following Caroline into the kitchen. He froze in the door for a moment.

"Hey, Jer," Elena stood slowly and turned to face him. She smiled and blinked back a few tears; they fell freely when Jeremy crossed the room and wrapped his arms securely around her back. There was a slight rustle of a plastic bag when it bumped into her. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," he squeezed her once more before backing up a bit and looking down. "There seems to be a lot more of you now."

"Yeah," Elena's smile was watery, "but you already knew that."

"You finally going to tell me who the baby daddy is?" He smirked.

"Yeah…" Elena trailed off when she sniffled and caught a tantalizing smell that made her mouth water. She looked down to the bag in his hands and felt her stomach rumble.

"And why I had to retrieve an Original's number?"

* * *

Klaus pulled his phone from his pocket when it rang and checked the caller ID.

"What is it Rebekah?" He regretted the snap in his voice the moment he spoke, but it was better he took his aggression out verbally on her than physically on the airport staff.

Elijah took the keys to the car. He didn't trust his younger brother behind the wheel at the moment, not after the near accident in Louisiana.

_"I just got a call from Mystic Falls,"_ Rebekah's heels clicked on the hardwood floors,  _"Elena is safe for the time being, but you need to get there quickly."_

"Where is she?" Klaus calmed upon hearing she was alright.

_"She made a grand escape from her captors and is now in the care of her brother and Caroline Forbes."_

"Her house would be the first place someone would look," Kol crossed his arms in the backseat.

_"I know that. And she knows that. Elena is at the Forbes house."_

* * *

Jeremy stared at Elena in shock as she dunked a fry in ketchup and popped it in her mouth. He still wasn't sure he had heard right even after listening to the phone conversation she'd had with Rebekah.

"Klaus?" He cleared his throat and cocked his head. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Elena nodded. "If there was any doubt it would have been gone the moment Tyler used the baby to make a hybrid."

Elena's blood ran cold when Tyler himself appeared in the door to the kitchen.

"Found you," Tyler glared at the trio in the kitchen.

"I'm not letting you hurt my baby Tyler," Elena stood and backed towards the wall.

Caroline and Jeremy stood to block Tyler's path.

There was a rush of air in the kitchen that told Elena they had been joined by another vampire. She bit down her shriek when her arms were grabbed from behind and she was held to a slim chest that was hard muscle.

Tyler moved in a blur and pinned Caroline to the kitchen counter.

"Let her go Damon," Caroline glared at him.

"I will," Damon's voice crooned in Elena's ear, "just as soon as the problem has been taken care of."

"How'd you even find us?" Jeremy stepped around the table. "I thought you were busy getting 'day drunk'."

"I was," Damon released one of Elena's arms and pressed his hand to her throat.

Jeremy froze with his hands up.

"Careful, little Gilbert," Damon kept a loose hold on Elena's throat, "I'd rather not hurt her, but I can't have you getting involved." He backed Elena up. "Just let Bonnie do her work, and then we'll turn her."

"I don't want to turn Damon," Elena spat. Rage was pulsing through her bloodstream even as her stomach knotted with fear. "I never wanted that."

"Don't be ridiculous," Damon rolled his eyes. "It's the only option. Isn't that right, Bon Bon?"

Elena blinked through her fury and saw Bonnie step down into the kitchen with Stefan.

Stefan took one look at Jeremy before flashing forward and breaking his neck.

Elena was momentarily terrified until she saw Jeremy's ring. She turned her attention to the witch; her brother would be alright.

"Bonnie," Elena struggled against Damon's grip. Her eyes fell on a phial of green liquid in the witches hands. "Don't do this."

"I'm sorry, Elena," Bonnie frowned. Her scalp prickled; she was certain Elena's bump was taunting her. "As loathe as I am to admit it, Damon is right. We can't let Klaus make a hybrid army."

"Are you freaking serious, Bon?" Caroline pushed against Tyler's constricting arm. "If he wanted an army he would have had one by now."

"I've been with him since I left town," Elena met Bonnie's green eyes.

Bonnie paused while uncorking the bottle.

"He's obviously not going to use your blood while you're pregnant," Damon sneered. "That would be a colossally stupid idea because he wants another doppelganger one day so he wouldn't risk the baby."

"Will you shut up and listen to me?" Elena growled. "We were gone a month before I got pregnant," she would have pressed her hand to her stomach if her arms weren't being held. "He hasn't turned anyone, and he's had the means to do it." Her heart remained steady; she didn't know whether Jackson had taken him up on the offer or not.

Bonnie lowered the phial from where she had been preparing to pour it into a cup. She knew from Dwayne that the baby was Klaus' which meant her friend had to have slept with him at least once. Elena was right though; Klaus could have had an army by now. He could have turned dozens in the weeks before the child's conception.

"You can't be buying this Bonnie," Tyler scoffed. "She'll say anything to protect Klaus' demon spawn."

"It's her kid to Tyler," Bonnie's eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't matter," Tyler shifted his hold on his struggling ex-girlfriend, "because the other half is Klaus'."

Caroline shifted her feet before bringing her knee up with every ounce of her supernatural strength. If she were being honest with herself she would have admitted that she had wanted to do that since she had caught him cheating on her with his werewolf 'bestie'.

_She pushed open the door to the house with a huge smile on her face. She'd decided to take a spontaneous trip home for the weekend to visit her mom and see her boyfriend. The smile melted away when she stepped inside and was greeted by the heady smell of sex._

_She probably should have turned back around and marched out of the house, but she couldn't stop herself from following the smell. As she got closer she could hear the familiar grunting and animalistic growls._

_She wished she could find it in herself to be surprised, but it was a strangely calm experience pushing upon the door and having her suspicions confirmed._

_The brunette was lying on top of the dining room table with her legs slung over Tyler's shoulders. Caroline had a perfect view of his cock driving into the bitch's cunt; she moaned with each powerful thrust and pinched her own nipples._

_"What the fuck, Tyler?!"_

It was very satisfying seeing him double over in pain. Caroline didn't take much time to revel in it though before snapping his neck. She moved to flash across the kitchen only to be thrown across the room by Stefan. She landed in the hall and jumped to her feet; avoiding his punch she got a good grip and threw him out the front door.

"What's the hold up, Bon Bon?" Damon spun Elena around and pushed her into a chair.

"Maybe I'm not in as much of a hurry to kill a baby, Damon," Bonnie snapped.

"Fine," he snatched the phial from her hand, "I'll do it myself."

"Damon…" Bonnie gasped when he tossed her out of the kitchen and into the hall. Pain bloomed across her shoulder and made her head swim.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> This chapter takes place the second Caroline throws Stefan through the front door. From Damon pushing Bonnie to what happens here only spans a few seconds.
> 
> I rewrote some of this chapter after getting the reviews for the last one.

Stefan landed on the lawn. His full weight went down on his wrist. He grunted in pain, but before he got a chance to reset the bones he was hoisted to his feet.

"Hello, old friend," his eyes flashed gold, "I believe you have something of mine."

"Oh," Caroline felt relief wash through her when she saw the three Originals on her lawn. "Thank God. I never thought I'd be happy to see any of you."

"Miss Forbes," Elijah greeted.

"Where's Elena?" Klaus held Stefan by his throat. His eyes hardened when he heard the voice of Damon Salvatore and the pained yelp of the Bennett witch.

_"Damon, don't!"_

Caroline spun on her heel and flashed back into the house with the intention of stopping whatever Damon was planning. She made it to the kitchen just in time to see Elena push on his chest while squeezing her lips together and turning her head from the phial of liquid.

Damon was propelled back when Elena's hands hit his chest. The glass door leading to the back door broke beneath his body.

"Back yard!" Caroline caught the gaze of Kol who immediately vanished only to appear on the other side of the broken glass. She ignored him when he subdued Damon and turned to Bonnie who was climbing to her feet. "Did you do that?"

"No," Bonnie held her shoulder. "I thought you did."

"I was nowhere near him," Caroline flashed around the table and helped Elena to her feet. Her eyes were still tightly closed so she had yet to see what had happened.

Elena peeked through one eye and found Damon gone. She didn't have time to feel relieved before Tyler started to stir.

Jeremy sat up with a gasp.

"Come on," Caroline paused long enough to pull Jeremy to his feet. She pushed them both out onto the porch and was about to follow when she was grabbed from behind. Caroline screamed when the teeth sank into her neck.

Through the haze that clouded her vision she saw Stefan's body ashen and grey on the front lawn. She knew Damon had no hope of overpowering the Original that had him out back which left only one person that could have bitten her.

"You should have helped us." As suddenly as the teeth sank into her jugular they let go. She caught herself on her wrist and blinked up at Tyler who had stepped around her.

Elena had frozen at the top of the porch. She'd spun on her heel and gasped when she saw Tyler with his teeth in her best friend's neck. It felt like an eternity, watching him draw blood from the blonde, but it was only a second; it wasn't even long enough for Caroline to fight back.

She stumbled when Caroline was released and stifled her shriek when strong arms caught her waist. The world blurred in her vision and stilled when she found herself twenty feet away with Jeremy and Klaus.

"Are you alright?" His hand settled on her abdomen. The tension that had been coiled in his chest released. His heart began to beat again when he felt his daughter's strong kick.

"Fine," she nodded quickly.

"Niklaus!"

Elena looked over Klaus' shoulder to find Elijah holding Tyler against the side of the house. Her gaze fell to Stefan and the protruding wood in his chest; she couldn't bring herself to feel much sympathy for her ex who had tried to kill her and her baby.

From behind the house she heard the pained screams of Damon and the sickening sound of flesh being forced in on itself.

"You know," Kol strode back around the house and stole Elijah's handkerchief, "it's a good thing there is a festival in town tonight. Otherwise we'd be compelling a lot of people." He wiped the blood from his right hand and pointed to Tyler with a sadistic smirk. "I believe I owe you a broken neck."

"That wasn't me," Tyler gritted his teeth. He struggled against Elijah's stronger grip. "It was Bonnie."

"Thanks Ty," Bonnie's reply was sarcastic from where she knelt by Caroline.

Kol looked from Tyler to Bonnie and back again before nodding.

"That actually makes a lot more sense," he narrowed his eyes. A witch would explain why he couldn't remember seeing anyone enter the elevator.

"What happened to Dwayne?" Elena's nails dug into her brother's arm as she looked up and down the street anxiously.

* * *

Elena ran her hands back through her hair and drew her legs up beneath her on the couch. There was a mug of tea on the coffee table that was half drunk.

Klaus hadn't hesitated to tear Tyler's heart from his body after Caroline had muttered, half-crazed, that he and the Salvatores had wanted to kill the baby and turn Elena. He might have done the same to Bonnie if Elena hadn't stopped him. Bonnie had paused; Elena had seen it in the witch's eyes: she hadn't wanted to do it.

Damon, however, Damon had been taken to the Mikaelson's mansion outside of town. Elena had thought Kol had extracted his heart, but it turned out he had only removed enough vital organs to keep Damon confined to the backyard. Klaus had bitten him and sent him to the house to suffer in the dungeon.

She had spent enough time with them to know Klaus had not been speaking metaphorically.

Klaus had healed Caroline before taking Elena back to the Gilbert house. He might have taken her directly to the airport if he hadn't seen the way she was trembling; the danger in Mystic Falls had passed, so there was no harm in staying another night.

Elena shook herself from her thoughts and blinked sleepily at her brother who was starting to nod off. Every time he would his head would jerk back up.

"You can go to bed, Jeremy," she glanced over her shoulder. She could hear the gentle voices of the Mikaelsons in the kitchen, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. "I'm not going to disappear in the middle of the night."

"It's happened before," Jeremy frowned. "No chance I can persuade you to stay permanently? It's not like it's unsafe for you anymore."

Elena blinked a few times. Her mouth popped open as she looked around the living room of her childhood home. She tried to summon the happy memories that she knew were there in her mind, but all she could see was the horror. This was the town where she had lost her parents, where the supernatural had sucked her in and tried to kill her countless times. There were so many ghosts here that made her heart ache.

She realized suddenly that had wanted that fresh start that came with New Orleans and the Original family. She knew Klaus had used her in the ritual that should have ended her life, and that had ended the life of Jenna.

_Elena ran her hand over her flat stomach to spread the sunscreen evenly. She lifted her eyes from her task when a shadow blocked out the sun._

_"Klaus?"_

_He took a seat on the edge of her lounge chair and watched her slim fingers._

_"I owe you an apology, sweetheart."_

_A line appeared between her brows. She lowered her bright yellow sunglasses and squinted at him over the brilliant frame._

_"For what?" She looked him up and down and didn't miss the way he couldn't quite meet her eyes. "If this is about the other night then you really don't because I was the one who started it, and," she smirked in an attempt to lighten his mood, "we agreed to not speak of it again."_

_"That's not what…" Klaus finally met her twinkling eyes. "This isn't…" he sighed deeply._

_Elena could see him searching for the right words that would articulate his thoughts. She got the strange sense he didn't apologize for much and that the process was something he was unfamiliar with._

_"The night of the ritual," he ventured after a moment of tense silence. "I didn't mean…"_

_"To try and kill me?" Elena guessed. "I'm pretty sure you did mean that." She didn't like thinking about that night; she had lost Jenna and John that night._

_"I didn't mean for it to happen the way it did…" he cleared his throat. "I never intended to use your aunt, Elena. I had planned on Katerina, but she made a daring escape so I was forced to make a last minute change. I'm sorry about your aunt and your uncle."_

_She pushed her sunglasses back up to hide her tears and blinked rapidly. She had never thought he would address the issue at all, so it came as a shock._

_"Thank you," she swallowed the lump in her throat and caught his wrist before he could leave her in the sun. "Klaus…" she bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose, "… I never… I never blamed you for John."_

_"If I hadn't used you he wouldn't have given his life to save yours," Klaus frowned down at her._

_"If Damon hadn't force fed me his blood Elijah's elixir would have worked and he wouldn't have sacrificed himself for me," Elena let go of his hand._

_He stood for a moment without saying anything before retreating into the house._

Elena toyed with the edge of a throw pillow and shook her head. She didn't want to spend her life surrounded by the shadows of those she had lost.

"No," she met Jeremy's tired eyes. "I might have lied about how I left town, Jer, but I wasn't lying about my reason for staying away. The only reason I would stay is for you if you needed me, but…"

"I don't," he cut in before she could talk herself into returning. He had seen the way Klaus had looked at her earlier and had a strong feeling the hybrid would have brought her back if that was what she truly wanted. "I miss you like crazy, but I don't need you 'Lena."

"That's what every sister wants to hear," Elena smacked him with the pillow.

"That's not what I meant," Jeremy laughed. "I'll always need you, you're my sister, but I don't need you looking out for me. You spent years looking out for me; it's high time you lived your own life." His eyes dropped to her stomach. "Somewhere free from your personal ghosts; Mystic Falls is a ghost town to you." His lips quirked up in a smirk. "I'm not sure I'll stick around much longer to be honest with you."

"Ah yes," Elena smiled, "the out of state college applications. How are those coming? Any contenders?"

"A couple," he shrugged. "The acceptance letters are in the kitchen." He snickered when Elena tried in vain to stifle her yawn. "I think it might be time for you to go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy," she pouted and crossed her arms over her stomach.

"Sounds like you are," Klaus stepped through the sliding doors into the living room and braced his hands on the back of the couch. He could hear the weariness in her voice and now that he was in front of her he could see it in her eyes.

"Come on, love," he offered his hand to help her off the couch, "you two can talk more in the morning after you've both gotten some sleep."

* * *

Elena dropped an old over-sized green t-shirt onto the bed; it was one she had intentionally bought years ago to sleep in and was the only thing left in her old room that would still fit.

She pulled her blouse off, reached around her back and huffed in frustration when she couldn't make the snap of her bra comply.

"May I be of assistance?"

Elena glanced over her shoulder and smiled softly when she saw Klaus. He had stepped into her room and closed the door behind him. There was a time when he would have waited for her nod, but he no longer hesitated where she was concerned.

Crossing the room slowly his fingers traced the edge of the black lace and unsnapped the hooks. His knuckles followed the line of the straps down her arms. Pressing his palm to her stomach he dropped the bra over the bed post and laid a gentle kiss to the junction of her neck and shoulder.

Goosebumps rose on her skin. She tried to pull away to reach for her shirt; her head turned slightly so his stubble brushed her jaw.

"You either need to give me my shirt," her cool breath brushed his chin, "or do something else to warm me up; it's very cold in here."

She sighed when he stopped kissing her neck and picked up the shirt.

"Where is everybody?" A line appeared between her brows when she could no longer hear the deep voices of his brothers.

"Elijah left to make flight arrangements for tomorrow, Kol went to check on Damon, and Jeremy is…" he cocked his head and listened for a moment. "Jeremy is sound asleep."

She tugged the shirt on and let it fall. Normally it reached the middle of her thighs, but with the bump it just touched the tops. She pushed her jeans down her legs and stepped out of the material before sliding between the fresh sheets. Instinctively she moved over further to make room for Klaus who turned off the light, toed off his shoes and laid down beside her.

"Enlighten me on something, sweetheart," he brought the blankets up over her frame.

"What?" She curled into his side and hooked her leg over his thigh.

"Why were they so intent on killing our child?" His blood boiled at the mere thought. He understood his enemies wishing to harm her, but her friends didn't make sense to him.

"Tyler had a theory," she nibbled her lower lip before explaining what had happened when she came to at the boarding house.

"Dwayne was the hybrid?" Klaus slid his arm under her tense body. "The person Bonnie said they killed."

Elena nodded against his chest. Bonnie had told her at Caroline's house that Dwayne had attacked Tyler when he'd told him about his intentions for the baby; she had said it was as if he'd become possessed.

"I had no idea," he murmured.

"So you're not going to try and make an army with our baby's blood?" Elena's tone was teasing, but there was a slight tremor to it.

"Of course not," his voice rumbled in his chest. "If I wanted an army I would have had it by now. Besides," he kissed the top of her head, "it sounds like this Dwayne was sired to the baby. He was probably the reason it took them so long to reach you."

They lapsed into silence for several moments before he broke it.

"The Bennet witch," he ran his fingers through her hair. "Why did you stop me?"

Elena blinked in the dark room and drew patterns over his grey Henley.

"She stopped," Elena murmured. "Damon took the poison when she wouldn't give it to me and threw her out of the room. He went flying through the patio doors a few seconds later; she tried to help."

"It would have been better if she'd never acted with them," his heart hammered in his chest.

"Someone helped me get out, too," she closed her eyes. "I thought it was Stefan at first… it was his car, but…"

"He wasn't a fool. If he had tried to help you he would have used that information before he died; he knew he had no chance the moment he landed on the lawn." He shifted onto his side and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "What did she do, aside from throwing the dearly departed through a window?"

"Someone unlocked the car," she nuzzled closer and draped her arm over his waist.

"Before she had her change of heart?" Klaus cocked an eyebrow. His scepticism faded somewhat when he traced the planes of her face with his eyes. "Elena?"

"What…?" She mumbled into the pillow before rolling over.

"I…" he closed his eyes and sighed against the back of her neck, "… I saw some of Jeremy's acceptance letters tonight."

"Hmm?" Elena took his hand when it slipped around her stomach.

"Mmhmm," he inhaled the scent of her floral shampoo. "Tulane has one of the best programs in the country, and is situated in the center of a city brimming with art and culture."

It took a moment for what he had said to sink in, but when it did joy filled her soul; it warmed her from the inside out.

"So it does," she mumbled sleepily. There was a peaceful smile on her face when she drifted into the realm of dreams.

* * *

The sunlight streamed through the lace curtains to dance across her features. It was warm and pleasant. In her experience the only better way to wake up was with Klaus' face between her thighs; that was her favorite way to wake up, but the sun warming her face was a close second.

Suddenly the bed dipped and the sun was blocked from her body. She opened her eyes to fix him with an exasperated stare.

"Do you have any boundaries?" She shifted back an inch into his warm chest.

"In the bedroom or just in general?" He cocked a heavy brow and smirked.

Elena rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder.

"I do so love it when you're rough, darling."

"Kol," Klaus glared over her shoulder, "what are you doing?"

"Don't mind him, darling," Kol whispered conspiratorially, "he never did learn how to share."

Elena used a little more force with the next shove and sent him sprawling across the floor. She was fairly certain he had let her do it, but it was still satisfying when he sat up and gave her a mock hurt look.

"You wound me darling."

"What do you want Kol?" Elena sighed. She had also learned the best way to deal with Kol was to be direct.

"I just thought you'd like to know he succumbed to the venom a few hours ago," he climbed to his feet. He shifted when tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. "Did I hear wrong yesterday?" He whispered to Klaus. "I was under the impression she wanted him dead."

His comment only made Elena's shoulders shake harder.

"Get out," Klaus breathed. He moved Elena to roll over when the door clicked shut and rubbed her shoulders. "What's wrong love?"

"He's dead," she sobbed.

"Yes," Klaus held her trembling body tightly, "we had discussed what to do with him."

"I… I… I know," Elena hiccuped, "but…" She had wanted him eliminated for what he had done and what she knew he would have done again in the future, but it still upset her.

"Are you crying because he's dead," Klaus ran his hand up and down her spine, "or because of the baby hormones?"

Elena sniffled and clung to his shirt that was swiftly growing damp beneath her cheek.

"A… a bit of both," she took heaving breaths in an attempt to calm down. If Kol had asked her that she might have lobed the nearest heavy object at his head.

Klaus almost regretted letting the last of her captors die if only for the tears he had summoned. He suspected she was crying for all three now that it was over.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" He murmured when she calmed down. This was the first time she had truly cried since he had taken her away.

"Take me home."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of everything so far.
> 
> I'm thinking the next chapter will have a time jump. Elena is currently 6 months pregnant, so I'm thinking there will be a month or two month jump. Don't forget Celeste is still out there somewhere.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> I know that this chapter is short, but I promise it's not for a lack of inspiration or motivation. I'm actually working on the next one tonight which will be close to the standard length of the chapters so far.
> 
> I just came up with this today. It's a side plot inspired by a comment from lovetolongago over on FF.NET

They had been tethered to her side since she had left Mystic Falls. Everywhere she went they followed silently: watching… waiting.

They rarely interacted with each other; they were so focused on their inflicted guardianship that they hardly saw each other.

They were silent sentinels: ghosts in the night.

She never saw them, but they saw her.

They saw everything.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> I so meant for this chapter to be fluffy and full of little moments in their lives, but somehow I made myself cry while writing the Rebekah and Davina scene.

She curled her toes tightly so they pressed against the balls of her feet; the tiny appendages were practically frozen. She had been pleasantly warm all day and had neglected to wear her socks but the cold had come on suddenly. She should have gotten up from where she was reading on the couch for socks, but her feet hurt and she had a much better idea.

She leaned back a bit against the armrest and tilted her head. A sly smile lifted the edges of her mouth as a mischievous twinkle entered her dark eyes.

He was sitting on the other end of the couch with a sketchbook in his lap and a stick of charcoal between his thumb and forefinger. His brows were knit together in concentration as he drew the dark stub across the page.

Casually she stretched out her leg and uncurled her toes.

Cold might not have bothered vampires but he still jumped when her freezing toes pressed against his exposed forearm.

"Bloody hell," he swore and fixed her with a stern look, "your feet are like ice."

"It's cold in here," she shrugged innocently. She closed her book and laid it in her lap when she stretched out her other leg.

"Have you ever considered socks, love?" He rolled his eyes and moved his sketchbook to the end table.

"I thought about it," she toyed with the ties around her black and white plaid tunic, "but they're all too tight. I feel like socks cut off my circulation."

In the month since leaving Mystic Falls her legs, ankles, and feet had all swollen. It was just enough to make her ache after the shortest of walks. She was sincerely hoping that it was just a phase she was going through and that it wouldn't persist for the final eight weeks of her pregnancy.

She rested her elbow on the back of the couch and pushed her insanely thick hair back from her face. She grunted softly when he took her left foot between his hands. His thumbs slowly applied a light pressure to the top of her foot as he made his way from her toes to her swollen ankle and back again a few times.

She closed her eyes and reveled in the relief that came from his thumb rotating around her ankle before moving to her arch. He rubbed small circles in opposite directions applying a firm pressure that was the epitome of pleasure; she had never felt anything so wonderful in her life.

She ascended to seventh heaven when he switched to the other foot and repeated the actions that were warming her frozen toes.

She didn't realize she was moaning until Kol leaned over the back of the couch.

"Is that really all it takes to make you moan, darling?" He smirked and laughed when she smacked his shoulder with her book.

"Shut up," she mumbled. A crimson stain covered her cheeks. "My feet have been sore all day, and I swear his hands are magic."

"She said that this morning too," Klaus chuckled, "during a far more intimate massage."

"One day," Elijah dropped into a chair across from the parents to be, "I just want to go one day without an innuendo said. Is that too much to hope for?"

"With your brothers?" Elena cocked an eyebrow and looked between the pair closest to her. "I'm going to say yes."

* * *

_"This is getting ridiculous," Damon scoffed and shook his head._

_He couldn't believe that she was actually doing this. That she was actually playing house with the Originals. They had to be compelling her. They just had to be._

_Watching her relationship with his brother had been hard enough, but seeing the way she spoke with the homicidal maniac that had fathered her child was sickening._

_He had to believe the bastard had compelled her into his bed. Likely after learning it was possible for him to conceive a child that he could use to make an army._

_There was no way Elena would choose him. In what universe would she choose Klaus fucking Mikaelson?_

_He was obviously compelling her. He was obviously using her and she was blind to it._

_That was not real affection in his eyes._

* * *

His hand absentmindedly rubbed the length of her blanket clad calve while he sketched a picture of her from memory.

In the image her eyes were shut as she slept peacefully with a sated smile on her lips. It was exactly how she had looked that first night in Greece: mussed hair, kiss swollen lips, and love bites along her throat. The sheet had been down around her waist, but the picture cut off at the swell of her breast before her rosy nipples.

He was so focused on the drawing that he didn't immediately notice when his siblings trickled out of the room or when her breathing leveled out and she drifted off.

He smiled fondly when he finally looked up and found her curled into sofa snuggling into the warm blanket he had retrieved when her feet grew cold again.

The late afternoon sunlight shimmered through curtains and illuminated her glowing skin. She was radiant in her sleep. She was radiant all of the time, but he would only ever watch her when she was like this.

He was afraid if she were to catch him watching her like this, with blatant love and devotion in his eyes that she would ask why he was looking at her like that. He didn't think he would be able to lie to her; the words had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks, but he couldn't manage to voice them. This was a vampire's greatest weakness, and he had never wanted to be weak or even perceived as weak; but he was coming to believe that maybe, just maybe, it could be his greatest strength as well.

That or she would break him into a million pieces. How could she ever care for him? One drunken night did not reveal her emotions and pregnant woman had been known to act differently than they would normally behave; everything could have easily been a result of her hormones. She might have his child and decide she wanted nothing to do with  _him._

He knew they could be friends though, and he didn't want to ruin that relationship should she make the very sound decision to stop associating with him. He wanted a relationship with his child, and hopefully a healthy relationship with her mother; even if it wasn't the one he wanted.

It would have been unwise for her to reciprocate his feelings in any way. He was a monster who definitely didn't deserve her. Hadn't every woman he'd ever cared for delivered that sentiment over the centuries.

He was a manipulative, power hungry bastard, wasn't he?

He had used her for her blood over the course of a year and made enough hybrids to set her ex-lover and his brother on edge.

For nearly a year he had seen her as no more than a means to an end. Taking her to Greece had been his undoing. Taking her to Greece had allowed them time to actually get to know each other. Taking her to Greece had shown him she was nothing like her predecessors; she was kind, loyal to those she loved, and forgiving to a fault. She could also be manipulative and stubborn; and he absolutely adored the light in her eyes when she was determined. She hadn't actually feared him in a long time; he didn't think she had feared him the night of the ritual either.

There had been something in her eyes that night. A defiant spark that said he would never break her, and he hadn't. The relief he had felt when finding her alive months later was palpable. He had told himself and anyone who would listen that it was because he needed her blood, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

He couldn't remember the last time he had said those words to anyone. Not even his siblings had heard the expression fall from his lips.

Part of him wanted to bury his feelings down deep and never think about them again, but dammit he wanted to tell her… just once.

Her face scrunched up adorably and her eyelids fluttered as she woke up.

The words stuck in his throat.

Elena licked her lips and rubbed them together while exhaling deeply and turning in his direction.

"Are you watching me sleep?" She blinked the last of the sand from her eyes.

"I…"

Elena covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes sparkled when the colour kissed his cheeks and he couldn't quite meet her gaze. She had noticed his gaze a few times when she woke up but had never called him out on it; it was cute how flustered he got.

* * *

_"Creep," Damon sneered. He was inches from the hybrid's face. "You should be embarrassed staring at a girl like that."_

_"Will you give it a rest?" Tyler paced in front of the picture window. He was getting sick and tired of Damon and his attitude. He was starting to miss Stefan who had disappeared before they left Mystic Falls._

_"What's the matter, wolf boy?" Damon glared at Klaus. He wanted to tear the bastard apart._

_"Nothing," Tyler growled. He was starting to believe what Elena had said, but it was clear Damon never would. "It's just that… I've been all over this backwater town. There is a pack in the Bayou and only one of them has been turned."_

_"So?" Damon shrugged. "I told you: he's waiting until the kid pops out. Klaus needs his demon spawn for when he inevitably kills her."_

_Tyler shook his head. As loathe as he was to admit it he was starting to believe it was true: Klaus wouldn't hurt her, her child, or anyone else who didn't pose a threat to Elena and the baby._

_Tyler had always been an impulsive person. He never listened to reason, and only now in death was he realizing that this had been his fatal flaw. It was when he'd had that thought that it happened._

_Damon gaped at the spot Tyler had occupied a moment before he had dissolved into thin air just as Stefan had done in Elena's old bedroom; he hadn't seen his baby brother since._

_"Just as well," he muttered, "I'm the only one who appreciates my own wit, anyway."_

* * *

Rebekah was on her way out but paused in the corridor when she caught a glimpse of Davina alone in the kitchen.

The girl's feet were hooked around the stool legs, her arms were crossed over the island, and her chin was propped on her arms. She was staring miserably at her dim reflection in the oven door.

Rebekah hadn't seen the young witch that melancholy since she'd first come to the mansion.

"Are you alright, love?" She circled around the counter to block Davina's view of the makeshift mirror.

Davina started when she saw the blonde. Her movements were sluggish as she slowly sat up a bit and ran her delicate fingers through her wavy brown hair. She was disgusted at the sorrow that closed her throat; surely she shouldn't feel like this after everything that had happened.

"Davina?" Rebekah tilted her head and took the girl's hand.

She debated telling the Original what was wrong for a moment before opening her mouth.

"It's my birthday," she stared at the blinking calendar on the oven over Rebekah's shoulder: December 22. She'd always hated having her birthday so close to Christmas; everyone always gave her Christmas themed presents. It was one of the many drawbacks of a December birthday, but this year she would have welcomed one of her mom's cheesy gifts.

"I miss my mom," she whispered into the still room. "I shouldn't miss her. I should hate her; she stood by while they tried to kill me, but I miss her. Am I crazy?"

Rebekah flashed around the side of the counter and wrapped her arms around Davina's shaking shoulders. She held the girl's head to the crook of her neck and let her cry for a minute.

"You're not crazy, Davina," she sighed. "My mother made me what I am. She took away so many options, so many things I wanted out of life were stolen by her and I still miss her."

"I don't think you're mom tried to kill you," Davina muttered angrily.

"You're right," Rebekah nodded solemnly. She took Davina's shoulders and stared into her wet blue eyes. "She didn't try to kill me; she actually did. The spell had never before been tried; it could have killed all of us, but she still did it." She saw the surprise in the girl's eyes. "It's okay to miss her Davina; she was your mum."

Davina nodded sadly. She ran her hands over her thighs and squeezed her knees.

"If she were here now what would you be doing?" Rebekah leaned an elbow on the counter top.

"Getting ready for Christmas," Davina shrugged.

"How about helping me with some shopping?" Rebekah held out her hand.

"You left your Christmas shopping until now?" A line appeared between Davina's brows.

"Of course not," Rebekah pulled the teenager towards the door. "I have to pick up one present and then decide on another. I only forgot one present, and that's only because I didn't realize the importance of it. Come on, love, no birthday should pass without celebration."

She sent a few text messages after closing Davina's car door and sliding into the driver's seat.

* * *

Davina blinked in surprise when Rebekah steered them out onto the highway rather than back towards the mansion.

"Hey, Rebekah," she stared out the window at the passing trees, "why did we take Klaus' car? Yours would have had plenty of room for the shopping bags." They had somehow managed to fill the trunk of the SUV with purchases; she was certain Klaus and Elena's baby would never wear the same outfit twice before she outgrew her clothes.

"Because," Rebekah smiled cryptically, "we're picking something up for Nik: a Christmas surprise for Elena." She took an off ramp and passed a few cars before pulling into a long driveway.

* * *

Elena waved her hand in front of her face to dispel the smoke and coughed on her way to the window. Throwing open the pane she snapped a towel and directed the grey haze out into the cool December air.

It took a few minutes for the smoke to dissipate enough for her to clearly see Klaus and Kol who were staring at the warped tray on the cooling rack.

"Alright," her hands settled on her hips, "it you two are going to insist on keeping me from the oven then you're going to have to watch the timer carefully."

She shook her head and crossed the kitchen to view the completely blackened cookies.

"I don't think they look that bad," Kol rubbed the back of his neck and leaned over the counter.

"Really?" Elena cocked an eyebrow. She grabbed a spatula to lift one from the tray and held it out to him with a sweet smile. "Take a bite and tell me how good they are then."

Klaus heard his little brother swallow audibly. He placed a fresh tray in the oven and made sure to set the timer while his brother took a bite and gagged on the cookie.

Elijah and Finn paused in the door frame when they caught the lingering smell of burnt cinnamon.

"What happened in here?" Elijah surveyed the ruined cookies. "We were only gone an hour."

"These two geniuses burnt the cookies," Elena snickered. She tapped a sugar cookie that had been cooling on the table before lifting a bag of white frosting. She twisted the end of the bag and started adding strips to a candy cane. "Finn, you've got some pine in your hair."

"Where are Rebekah and Davina?" Elena slapped Kol's fingers when he reached for a half-frosted cookie. "Shouldn't they have been back by now?"

Klaus pulled the finished tray of gingerbread from the oven and flashed around to lay the cookies out on the table to cool. He cocked his head to the left when he heard the front door opening.

"I asked Rebekah to go and pick up your Christmas present," he deposited the tray on the counter and watched Elena frosting some cookies. "She's delivering it now."

"You know," Elena finished outlining a snowman and used her right hand to support the bulk of the icing bag upwards, "typically presents are kept under the tree."

"That's true," Klaus leaned his hip on the table and smirked, "but the UN frowns on wrapping people in brightly coloured boxes."

Elena frowned and narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Klaus carefully took her shoulder and spun her around to where Rebekah and Davina were standing on either side of the door.

Elena's eyes grew round. Her mouth formed a perfect 'o'. It took her a moment to get over her slack shock before she grinned and clenched her hand into tight fists. The icing bag squished in her hands sending a glob of white frosting through the air where it hit Kol, who had been reaching for a cookie behind her back.

She moved faster than she had in weeks and threw her arms around her little brother's neck.

"Jeremy," she laughed and swiped away a tear, "what are you doing here?"

"Seeing my sister," he laughed, "and attempting to hug her, but it's rather difficult because she's gotten so big."

Elena pulled back and playfully slapped his arm.

"How come whenever I say something like that I get the nearest heavy object thrown at me?" Kol wiped a line of frosting from his eyes.

"It's rather amusing when they make contact," Elena looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I bet," Caroline stepped around Jeremy and hugged her friend. "That's an interesting look for you Kol."

Davina covered her mouth and giggled at the vampire cleaning the frosting from his face. She looked around the kitchen to the plethora of cookies that were slowly making the whole house smell just like Christmas. She had caught sight of the tree standing in the living room and had assumed that the Originals had always planned on putting it up; after all everyone had been caught wrapping gifts over the last two weeks, but the cookies made her smile.

She knew Rebekah had been behind the rich smells that were invading her senses. Unless Elena had gotten a crazy craving for Christmas cookies then Rebekah had orchestrated it to make her feel better.

The thought that the Originals had come together to try and cheer her up, without even knowing what was wrong, brought a smile to her face. It slowly banished her melancholy.

* * *

_He watched on in silence at the sickening display of holiday cheer. At some point they were going to slip up and he would be there to gloat when they did. Hopefully it happened while Baby Gilbert was still in the house so he could relay the 'I-told-you-so' message to his sister, and get the delusional girl out of there._

_Until then he planned on staying out of the mediums way. It shouldn't be too hard; the house was huge._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the next chapter or two will focus around Christmas and New Years before Jeremy and Caroline head back home; he still has school to finish.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Anxiety swirled around him and made his gut twist with fear. His eyes were wide as they raced back and forth across the page.

Elena pushed open the door and paused. A wrinkle appeared between her brows with her frown.

"Are you alright?" She closed the door behind her and crossed to the dresser. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Elena pulled a pair of pajamas from the drawer. She was about to pull her tunic over her head when she saw him still staring at the book in his hands; horror evident in his eyes.

"Is that the latest Stephen King?" She quirked an eyebrow and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. "Klaus?"

"They stop breathing," his heart drummed in his chest. "They actually stop breathing in their sleep. And they've got so many bones; she's going to be so breakable."

Elena set her pajamas on the bedspread and lifted the book from his hands.

"Why are you reading the baby book?" She tried not to laugh at the expression on his face.

"Kol marked some pages for me," he shivered.

"Kol's trying to freak you out," Elena repressed her smirk. "She's going to be perfectly fine." The blood drained from her face when she lifted her eyes to look at him. "They really stop breathing?"

Klaus took the closed book from her hands and opened to the marked page.

"Like I said," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "she's very breakable. I'm scared I'm going to break her in two."

"You're not going to break her," Elena slammed the book shut and dropped it on the nightstand. She turned to face him and smiled teasingly. "And if you do I'll just have to break you, or get one of your siblings to do it since I physically can't."

"You could easily break me, love," his arm tightened around her shoulders. He pressed a soft kiss to her brow and murmured: "wrapping her in bubble wrap might be a little overboard?"

"Just a tad," Elena laid her head on his shoulder. She covered his hand with hers when he laid it on her swollen belly. "What's really bugging you? You're in complete control of your strength, so you're not going to break her."

Klaus inhaled the soft smell of her shampoo; when had lavender become his favorite smell?

He lifted his free hand from her arm and ran his fingers through her dark hair.

"I keep waiting for you to run," he watched her hair fall from his fingers.

Elena's shoulders stiffened. She blinked down at his hand and inhaled sharply. Did he really think she was going anywhere? She'd had no desire to run from him before she was pregnant?

"I'm not leaving…"

"Maybe you should," he cut her off. "I've no idea how many enemies I've made over the last thousand years Elena. Since you've been with me you've been abducted three times."

"Does that first one really count?" She made an attempt to lighten his mood. "That time it was your brothers and they were trying to help."

"Elena…" he sighed and shook his head, "… your own friends tried to kill you last month because of me."

_"We weren't going to kill her, dick," Damon leaned against the dresser and glared, "just your demon spawn; we were gonna turn her."_

"They tried that before I went away with you," Elena pointed out.

"Celeste…"

"Has not shown herself in months," Elena sat up and turned to face him. "For all we know she's dead." Her eyes narrowed in confusion; it almost sounded like he wanted her to run. "I'm not going anywhere Klaus; I did give my word."

"Things have changed since then," his eyes dropped to her stomach. "This isn't exactly what you agreed to when you said you'd stay with me."

"Technically I kind of did," she pushed her hair back behind her ear. "I didn't think it would be with you, but I did agree to have kids one day. It almost sounds like you want me to run," she crossed her arms.

"It would be easy enough to disappear with Jeremy and Caroline when they leave tomorrow," he met her dark eyes.

"Do you want me to leave?" Anger roared through her and brought the telltale pressure of tears to her eyes.

"Of course not," he straightened and took her hands. "I never want you to leave. I want you right here in my arms for as long as you'll stay; I just no you'll decide to leave me and if history is any indication it will be sooner rather than later."

"Klaus…" Elena felt a single tear slide down her cheek.

"I didn't want to do it," he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, "but… at some point in time you smiled and I… I couldn't stop myself; I was in the middle before I knew what was happening."

The intensity in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat.

"I love you," he saw her eyes widen in surprise and heard her heart quicken. "I'm madly in love with you, and what I want more than anything is to know that you and our child are safe from anyone who might cause you harm; including me."

Elena's head snapped up. She drew in a sharp breath and shook her head when he wouldn't meet her eyes again.

"You're not going to hurt us Klaus," she pulled a hand free and turned him to face her.

"I'm a monster Elena," he searched her mahogany eyes. "I'll be a terrible father; it's not like I had a good role model."

_"For once we agree on something," Damon scoffed._

"Hey," her angry tone surprised them both, "you are not Mikael," her finger stabbed him in the chest, "and you are going to be a wonderful father, and if I ever hear you call yourself a monster again I will personally kick your ass into next week."

Klaus cleared his throat and tried to suppress his grin at the image of the expectant mother attempting to cause him any type of physical pain.

"Could I say it one more time, sweetheart," he wiped away her earlier tear with his thumb, "I'd kind of like to see you try."

Elena attempted to hold a stern expression but it melted at the mirth in his eyes.

"I mean it, Klaus," she pressed her lips together and shook with a small laugh.

He composed himself and wiped the smirk from his face.

"I know you do, love," he took her hands. He also knew all of his siblings would probably do the job for her gleefully if she were to ask.

"Good," she nodded.

_"Don't tell me you're buying this?"_

Leaning forward she kissed his cheek and smiled.

"I love you too."

_"You're a bigger idiot than I thought you were," Damon gestured wildly to her. He rolled his eyes at the overly tender display of affection and scoffed when fabric was removed exposing bare skin, but before he got a chance to even turn away the room vanished and was replaced with rough stone walls and flickering candles._

* * *

She hummed to herself while twisting the vines around the faceless poppet. Candlelight flickered over her pale features and dark eyes.

A slow smile lifted the corners of her lips when a shape began to form in the center of the circle she had drawn on the floor of the crypt. Slowly a man appeared and turned to face her.

"Hello," she lowered the poppet.

"Medium?" He guessed.

"Witch," she crossed her arms and paced around the circle holding him in place. "I believe you and I have an enemy in common Mr. Salvatore."

Damon turned slowly so he was always facing the strange woman who had pulled him from the Original's mansion. He smirked and looked her up and down quickly, but found nothing recognizable in her features.

"I've made a few enemies in my time," he cocked an eyebrow, "you'll need to be a bit more specific."

"Hmm," she pursed her lips and nodded slowly, "that's fair. Let's see if I can't jog your memory? He's a power mad vampire with a hint of madness in his blood. He's killed thousands of people in his time and will likely kill more if not kept in check. And he's done the impossible by impregnating a young woman."

"Klaus," Damon straightened up and leaned back to take another look at the woman. "Why'd you bring me here?"

"I need some help," she admitted with a grimace. "I tried to do away with the child earlier, but I was stopped by the Originals. I've made plans but I need a vampire who can get the mother out of the house and here in the cemetery."

"In case you haven't noticed," he sneered and held out his hands, "I'm dead."

"That can be remedied," she waved her hand dismissively, "easily. In exchange for your return to the land of the living I'll need you to bring the girl to me."

"What are you planning to do with Elena?" Damon frowned and looked at her through narrow eyes.

"I've no plans for the girl," she tipped her head back and met his blue eyes, "only the child that cannot be allowed to live. She merely had the misfortune of being caught in the middle of things."

"I'll do it on one condition," Damon held up a finger.

"The condition is your life," she cocked a brow, "I'd think that would be enough." She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"I just want her left alive," Damon mirrored the witch's stance. "I don't want Klaus making any more of his 'superior' species so I'm going to turn her."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"Alright," Damon nodded. "When's this going to happen?"

"I'll need the full moon to bring you back," she inhaled slowly. "The next one is on New Year's Eve in two days' time. Until then wait in the house; at the stroke of midnight you'll be made corporeal and can bring her here. I'll take care of the child and then she's all yours."

Damon nodded but held up his hand when she moved back to her spell.

"How are you going to do it and how am I supposed to find this place again?"

"You only have to find the gate," she picked up the poppet, "do you know the city?" She sighed when he shook his head. "Take the next day or so to explore then and find the quickest route to Lafayette Cemetery: you want the entrance on Washington Avenue."

"Okay," Damon nodded. "My other question?"

"You want the girl alive so the solution is fairly obvious," she straightened her spine. "She's far enough along that pre-term labour is not dangerous to her so I'll induce her earlier in the day. As soon as the child is born you can take her."

The moment he nodded she sent him back to the house.

It wouldn't be long now. She had waited centuries for her revenge. Klaus' dying gasp would have been the greatest form of vengeance, but the tools needed for that were nearly impossible to get and would require the consenting blood of the doppelganger which Elena Gilbert would never give her. The psychological pain that would come from his daughter's death would be a close second.

She couldn't wait to have the child squealing in her grasp and hear the mournful sobs of his lover.

She would finally be able to rest when his legacies both natural and supernatural were born. He would have no child, and no hope of a hybrid army; if she'd had the tool she would have taken his life to after watching him suffer.

* * *

Elena blinked tiredly and hummed; his lips were pressing soft kisses to the nape of her neck.

She bit down her groan when her cell phone rang and instead released an annoyed sigh. Reaching for the device she giggled when his stubble tickled her neck.

"Has Jeremy made it home safely?" He didn't look up from where he was nibbling on her earlobe.

"If you stop distracting me I can find out," she playfully swatted his hand when it slid down the length of her stomach, "Klaus."

He chuckled, leaned back and propped himself on his elbow.

"Hello," Elena pressed the phone to her ear.

_"Hey; I didn't wake you did I?"_

"No," Elena rolled her eyes, "someone woke me, but it wasn't you." She shook her head and smiled when Klaus took her free hand and kissed her palm. "Did you get back alright?"

_"I did. Caroline made an executive decision to drive through so we got here about midnight. I thought it might be a little too late to call."_

"Just a tad," Elena smirked. "Although," she mock glared at Klaus who had started trailing kisses down her forearm, "I think I might have been awake. Your niece likes to kick me in the middle of the night."

_"She's got an impeccable sense of timing."_

"She gets it from her dad," Elena shivered and bit down the soft moan when he teased a particularly sensitive spot with his teeth.

He smirked when she glared at him.

_"I'm not even gonna ask. I think the answer to the question would cause lasting psychological scares."_

"There's healthy tissue left to scare?" Elena quipped.

_"Ha ha; very funny. I gotta go; there's somebody at the door, but I'll call you later tonight and wish you a happy new year."_

"I'll be waiting with baited breath," Elena disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the side table. "You're terrible." Her glare was half-hearted; desire swirled deep in her abdomen with each teasing nip.

"You love it," he accused lightly and slipped the strap of her camisole from her shoulder.

Elena's smile faded. A pressure settled over her pelvis suddenly and was accompanied by a cramp. She grunted and held her stomach as the ache subsided.

"Elena?" Klaus sat up and carefully maneuvered her into a seated position. "Are you alright?"

She inhaled slowly, exhaled and rubbed her stomach.

"Love?" Panic assailed him when she didn't answer right away.

"I'm okay," she pressed her lips together and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Probably just Braxton Hicks," she smiled at the confused frown on his face. "Did you ever finish reading the book?"

"It was giving me nightmares," he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and held her stomach. "What is Braxton Hicks?"

"It's false labour," she held his hands when he stiffened, " _false_  labour. I'm not actually in labour."

"How sure of that are you?" He cocked an eyebrow when she turned her neck.

"Pretty sure," she reached for the book still on the nightstand. Flipping through the pages she smiled triumphantly and lifted the book to display the pages on the subject. "Braxton Hicks contractions come randomly; labour pains are more frequent."

"Fine," he took the book and read the section, "just tell me if you have another."

"Yes, sir," she smirked and kissed his cheek.

Settling her hands on the edge of the bed she tried to push herself up and squealed when she fell back.

"Need a hand, sweetheart?" Klaus couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'd prefer two," Elena grinned when he appeared in front of her and pulled her to her feet.

* * *

Jeremy put his phone in his pocket and lowered his coffee cup onto the counter before making his way to the door.

"Bonnie?" He frowned at the witch occupying his doorstep.

"Hey," she swallowed nervously. "I know I swore to stay away after what happened with Elena and the baby, but somethings going on."

"What do you mean?" He opened the door wider and leaned in the frame.

"I'm not sure," she bit her lip, "the spirits aren't really sure, but my Gran came to me this morning and told me that there were whispers of someone trying to hurt Elena or the baby; it might have been both. Wherever they were coming from… it's like they were on a different plain."

"Why are you telling me this? Why didn't you just call her?"

"I didn't think she'd listen to me," Bonnie shrugged.

"Why wouldn't she? You did help her last month; when it came down to it," Jeremy's eyes narrowed.

Bonnie pressed her lips together and shook her head slowly.

"No, I didn't," she rubbed her hands together and adjusted her scarf. "I didn't unlock that car, and I didn't send Damon flying through the window; I don't know who did."

* * *

He froze on his way to the door. A line appeared between his brows before his eyes went completely blank and the ethereal voice whispered in his ear.

"You've got to be kidding me," his jaw clenched tightly.

Grabbing the doorknob he twisted and pulled only to find the wood stuck fast. He tried again and put all of his strength behind the motions. A feeling of dread crept over him.

Flying to the window he pulled upwards on the pane. He didn't succeed in opening the window, but he did manage to pull a muscle.

He honestly wasn't sure what result he was hoping for when he threw the heavy tome at the glass, but he knew he was sealed in when the window remained undamaged. Somebody had sealed him in the house; pressing his hands to the door in an attempt to remove it he realized it was an ancestral seal that would need to be removed by a witch who shared blood with the one who had cast it.

Clenching his fists he willed down his anger and pulled out his cell phone. The device made an annoying buzzing sound when pressed to his ear. Lifting the landline he found it dead as a doornail.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he slammed the receiver back in the cradle. He tried his cell phone again while searching through his bag for anything he might have taken from the mansion; he couldn't send a message without a personal effect.

* * *

"Sorry Kaleb," she watched from across the street as he attempted to break through, "but I can't risk the interference of an Elder."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got this idea that's another alternate version of season one of TO. Elena never turned and Kol never died so he would be in it as well. Basically the night morning Elijah gets the call that someone is working against his brother in NOLA comes after he had spent the night with Elena. He reluctantly leaves to deal with Klaus' problem thinking what transpired between them was a one time thing because... well Klaus would have a fit if he ever turned her which is what would likely happen if they were to continue a relationship. Elena understood it was a one time thing also, but was kind of expecting him to come back. Then something strange and impossible starts happening to her; something she doesn't believe for the longest time, and eventually she goes looking for him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Elena rubbed firm circles over her side and leaned on the kitchen counter. Staring down at the marble she attempted to stretch and relieve the ache in her back; it had been coming and going all day.

Every time Klaus caught her in the middle of one he seemed to grow a little tenser until she could practically see the energy coiled in his body. She'd had to remind him each time about the Braxton Hicks contractions, and how it was very unlikely that she was actually in labour; at thirty-three weeks it was too early for the baby to come.

She straightened up when the ache vanished and grunted when the baby kicked her in the ribs.

"Elena," Elijah paused in the door to the kitchen, "are you alright?" He took in her stiff posture and the way she was clinging to the counter.

"I think so," she gasped when a second kick landed in the same spot. Drawing in a sharp breath she winced at the pain spreading over her chest.

She blinked when a hand settled on the small of her back and steered her into a chair. She held the table with one hand and lowered herself with Elijah's help.

Wincing she took shallow breaths and held her ribs as cramps radiated under her bump.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Elijah watched the flush on her cheeks.

"Yeah," she nodded, "she just decided that my ribs are a xylophone."

"Here," he pointed to her side, "may I?"

Elena nodded and moved her hand out of the way. She drew in a sharp breath when his fingers prodded the area.

"I guess I don't need to ask if that hurt," he cocked an eyebrow. "It looks as if she's bruised a rib."

"Oh joy," her laugh was strained.

"You should be fine," he chuckled and straightened up. Striding to the cabinet he took down a glass and filled it with water. "I thought Niklaus was with you; where has he run off to?"

"I was trying to figure out what I was craving," she held the bottom of her stomach, "and I couldn't, but then it hit me… beignets. I told him I could find something else but he insisted on getting them."

"So he's flashed into the Quarter?" Elijah twisted his wrist to view his watch and turned off the water. "It's nearly midnight; luckily the Café is open twenty-four hours."

"Luckily," she rolled her eyes. "He said he'd be back by midnight," she reached up for the glass; somewhere in the house a grandfather clock began chiming the hour.

"I think he might be a little late," he was passing her the tumbler at the last stroke of the clock.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Elena rocked forward and clutched her stomach. A loud snap was followed by the sound of shattering glass; liquid splashed up her side.

Elena exhaled quickly; three sharp breaths. Her eyes opened when a hand wrapped firmly around her upper arm. Panic gripped her heart and sent her curling forwards again. Elijah was sprawled across the kitchen floor; his neck bent at an awkward angle.

She screamed and tried to pull away but she was no match for the superior strength.

Kol came racing into the kitchen. He saw the open door, overturned chair, and neutralized brother before colliding with something solid. He hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"Kaleb…" Kol sat up, "… happy New Year? You know we have a door right?"

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Rebekah flashed into the room where Kol and Kaleb were standing back up. "What happened to Elijah?"

Kol shook his head and turned to Finn when he stepped into the kitchen. The eldest brother was followed by Davina.

"What the bloody hell happened in here?" Klaus dropped the paper bag on the counter and stared at the glass and water seeping into Elijah's shirt. "Where's Elena?"

"Oh no…" Kaleb swiped at the blood leaking from his nose. "No, no, no… fuck…" He rubbed his forehead to relieve the tension headache.

"Kaleb?" Klaus spun to face the warlock in his kitchen.

"The Ancestors contacted me this morning," he pushed around the siblings into the study where he knew maps were kept in the drawer. "They said someone was coming for Elena."

"What?" Klaus' voice was deadly calm.

"Why didn't you call us?" Davina took the map from his shaking hands.

"I tried," Kaleb raked a hand through his hair, "I tried, but I was sealed in my house. An ancestral seal closed every point of entry, and whatever witch did it also cut my landline and scrambled the signal on my phone. I was lucky to find a spell that let me teleport here; took a bit of a toll though and it looks like I was too late."

"At least you tried," Davina turned to Klaus, "I'm going to need a little blood."

"What I want to know is who managed to get the jump on Elijah," Rebekah watched Klaus bite into his wrist; the blood dripped on to the map of the city.

"Someone already dead," Elijah rubbed the back of his neck and stepped into the room. "Damon Salvatore has returned to the land of the living."

Klaus tensed and watched the blood track across the page. He knew where it would settle before it did.

"If he's alive that means he's not working alone," Klaus gritted his teeth. "Do you know what witch sealed you in?" He turned to Kaleb who shook his head.

Davina lowered her hands when the blood stopped in the cemetery.

"She's back," Elijah sighed.

"And smarter," Klaus growled low in his throat. "She's taken Elena where we can't follow."

"Correction," Davina held up her hand, "she's taken Elena where you can't go without an invitation."

* * *

Finn sat Davina on her feet outside the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. He could see the tall stone structures that made up the standing graves of New Orleans.

"When exactly did burying the dead become obsolete?" Finn pulled open the gate; he and Klaus were halted at the threshold.

"Sometime during the witch massacres," Davina turned back around and invited them in.

Rebekah nodded in agreement. She vividly remembered the day of the first massacre. The streets of the city had run red with blood.

"Yes," Klaus stalked through the cobblestoned path, "they ran out of room in the ground."

Fresh flowers were displayed here and there between the graves; they were the only pop of colour in the otherwise grey landscape.

Klaus froze at a fork in the path and looked both ways. Forcing himself to calm down enough to utilize his other senses he inhaled and turned to the left where the scent of lavender was strongest. He and Finn made several more turns before his older brother grabbed his arm.

"Does that look familiar?" Finn nodded to a stone angel atop one of the tombs.

Davina pushed past them and crossed her arms to ward off the winter chill. Leaning forward she read the name inscribed on the stone.

"That's impossible," she breathed. Looking over her shoulder she saw the straight paths of the cemetery and no sign of the gate they had entered through.

"What's impossible, love?" Klaus temper began to flare; Elena's shampoo had all but faded away.

"This grave," she tapped the name, "it's Monique's… only…" she bit her lip and turned around to meet his flashing eyes, "… Monique's grave was just inside the gates. I'd think we were going in circles… except…"

Davina motioned behind them to the path.

Klaus glanced over his shoulder. He spun in a quick circle and realized that each grave he could see were ones he had already passed. Gritting his teeth he leapt into the air and landed atop the roof of a marble building.

"Remind to berate Elijah for his poor taste," Klaus stared out over the tombs. The stone buildings appeared to stretch for miles; miles beyond where the cemetery should have ended.

"Niklaus?" Finn's eyes grew round when he jumped onto the roof of an adjoining mausoleum.

"Bloody hell," Rebekah's gaze flickered from one grave to the next.

"What is it?" Davina backed up so she didn't have to crane her neck and stared at the locked muscles of the Original siblings.

Rebekah jumped back down and helped Davina up onto the roof where she could see the mess that they had stumbled into.

* * *

There was a twisting sensation in her stomach and lower back. Every muscle had seized up. Just when she thought it was too much to bear the pain eased and she was left a panting mess on the stone floor.

Opening her eyes she slapped away the hands holding her arms.

"Do not touch me," she hissed. Pushing up onto her hands she backed up until she was pressed against the cold bricks.

"Don't be like that," he stood from where he'd been crouched beside her. Candlelight flickered along the walls casting shadows across his face.

"How the hell are you alive?" She held her stomach as the pulling sensation started again and her muscles seized. She curled over and bit her lip.

"Made a deal with a witch," Damon reached out to take her hand; he pulled back when she glared. "You know this might be less painful for you if you were to relax."

Elena exhaled and tipped her head back against the bricks. Her eyes swiveled to the entrance when the sharp tap of heels sounded; a line appeared between her brows.

A tall woman with glossy red hair and stormy grey eyes glided into the mausoleum.

"Sarah?" Elena bit her lip.

"Not quite," the red head knelt on the stone floor and placed her hands on Elena's stomach.

"Celeste," Elena lifted her hands to push the woman away. Fear twisted her gut that was already starting to tighten again; her muscles had frozen in place. She couldn't even squeeze her eyes shut against the contraction; all she could do was release a pained scream.

When the pain passed she realized that Celeste had removed her leggings and draped a sheet over her thighs.

* * *

"I'll see if I can lift the illusion," Davina dropped to sit cross legged on the roof of the mausoleum and closed her eyes. Her head snapped up when a scream echoed over the stone.

"And you can follow your ears."

Klaus was gone before she had finished talking. Finn remained on the rooftop to watch her work; the last thing anyone wanted was to lose Davina in the maze.

* * *

"Are you two sure about this?" Kaleb stared down at the worn pages of the grimoire. The ink was faded from the wear of time, but still readable on the calfskin.

"Positive," Kol nodded.

"There is no stopping Niklaus," Elijah lifted the lid of the box, "from killing her at which point she'll just jump into another body."

* * *

"She's going to kill me," Elena's eyes burned with angry tears. There was no chance of reasoning with Celeste, the woman had tried to kill her once before, but maybe just maybe Damon would listen to reason.

"No she won't," Damon shook his head. "We had a deal."

"And you expect her to honor it," Elena glared at the witch in the far corner of the mausoleum.

Celeste lifted a ceremonial knife from her bag. Holding it aloft she murmured something indistinct and placed the blade on a cloth covered alter.

"She just wants the kid Elena," Damon reasoned. "She wants to keep Klaus from making a damn army."

"You have got to be kidding me," Elena groaned and curled over. Her limbs had unfrozen several a minute before which was good. Being able to tense up and move meant she could grit her teeth and keep from screaming.

She straightened and almost immediately curled over again.

"It looks like it's time," Celeste knelt and lifted the edge of the sheet.

"She tried to kill me, Damon," Elena kicked weakly at the redhead. "Months ago; the wolves attacked her and watched over me until Klaus found me."

"It's time to push," Celeste held Elena's foot and placed it back on the ground.

"No," she gritted her teeth and shook her head. She pressed her thighs together. "It's too soon; she's too little."

"It hardly matters," Damon rolled his eyes.

"Please…" tears streaked down Elena's flushed cheeks, "… Damon please… help me. She's just a baby."

Celeste's shoulders stiffened as the vampire's eyes flashed. She stood abruptly and paced to a candle high on one of the walls. Bloody symbols clung to the sides.

"What are you doing?" Elena flattened her palm against the floor and pushed herself against the wall. Her eyes landed on the hands of her watch; had it really only been two hours since she'd been laughing in the kitchen with Elijah?

"Taking pre-emptive measures," Celeste met her eyes and blew out the candle.

Elena covered her mouth with her hand. Damon had vanished into thin air; one moment he was kneeling beside her and the next he was gone.

"What did you do to him?" Elena trembled. She was fighting the instinct that was telling her to push.

"I returned him to this plain," Celeste replaced the large candle on the wall, "and now I've sent him back."

* * *

Klaus fist collided with the side of a mausoleum. The stone shattered beneath his knuckles.

The trail had gone cold.

* * *

Jeremy bit his cheek to keep himself from speaking and breaking her concentration. He watched the intense look on her face from the corner of his eye.

Eventually he couldn't take the silence any more.

"Bonnie…"

"We're going the right way," she made a left.

"How can you tell?" Jeremy scanned the tombs as they passed. Each one looked the same to him in the moonlight.

"They left behind a trail," she closed her eyes and felt the air with her mind. "It's still reasonably fresh… and there's a witch up ahead."

Bonnie smiled triumphantly when she came to a stop and pointed to the top of a mausoleum.

Jeremy followed her arm to the shadowy figures sitting on the stone roof.

"Finn?" He squinted into the dark. "Davina?"

"Jeremy," Finn took a look out over the rooftops and jumped down, "what are you doing here?"

"Bonnie got a message from the Other Side," he nodded to her, "we tried calling, but every number I dialed gave me nothing but static."

"So you drove down?"

"I drove down," Jeremy nodded.

"A message?" Finn turned to Bonnie. "You're a witch then?" He waited for her nod. "Perhaps you could help Davina; she's having trouble lowering the spell."

"What spell?" Jeremy's eyes narrowed.

"The one concealing your sister," Finn offered Bonnie a hand up onto the roof. "A witch has turned the cemetery into a maze."

Bonnie sat across from Davina who had stopped chanting to stare out at the never ending tombs.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Too much power," Davina muttered. "I don't know how she's doing it. I'm a harvest witch I should be able to break through this easily; she's got to be channeling someone."

"Ancestors?" Bonnie guessed. "Don't you practice ancestral magic down here?"

"It's not them," Davina shook her head. "They warned us about what was happening."

"Maybe another 'Harvest witch'?" Bonnie cocked an eyebrow.

"I can't see any of the others wanting to help someone hurt Elena," Davina bit her lip.

"Could be they're not doing it willingly," Bonnie swallowed. "Luckily for you I came prepared to help." She held out her hands to Davina. "You know the spell and I'm channeling the magic of nearly two dozen dead witches."

"It was rather terrifying watching her get it," Jeremy grumbled. The dead had used something to keep him from getting to Bonnie when she had cried out in pain.

"I would imagine so," Finn nodded.

They fell into silence as the witches began working together. A gentle wind blew through the standing graves.

* * *

Kaleb wiped the ashes from his hands and watched Elijah drape a white sheet over the bones.

"Not that I'm doubting your mother's spell," he dropped the rag onto the table, "but what happens when it does work?"

"Her spirit will return," Kol closed the grimoire.

"I got that," Kaleb nodded, "it's what she's returning to that bothers me. What's to keep her from jumping again?"

"The fact that she won't live long enough to prepare another body," Elijah leaned back against the stone wall to wait.

"That…" Kol knelt and snapped a pair of rusted shackles around the wrist bones, "… and these."

* * *

Klaus' head snapped around with the wind. He pulled his hand from the ruined wall and watched as the new tombs seemed to shift and grow in the shimmering air.

After a moment the wind settled and a low moan reached him.

"Thank you Davina," Rebekah breathed a sigh of relief and flashed off after her brother.

_"Get the hell away from me!"_

Rebekah froze outside a large tomb when Klaus emerged with his hand around the throat of a red headed woman.

"Celeste?" Rebekah arched an eyebrow. "It's been a few centuries." Her head snapped around to the groan coming from inside. "If you'll excuse me…"

Elena held her stomach and gritted her teeth against the tugging pain in her abdomen. She felt like she was being split in two even pieces.

She flinched away from the gentle hands that settled on her stomach. Apparently the wind was only a momentary distraction.

"Elena, let me help you."

Her eyes snapped open. Through the haze of her tears she made out blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Bekah?" She looked around frantically. "Celeste…"

"Is dead," Klaus appeared and knelt at her other side.

"But she'll…" Elena held her stomach and grimaced.

"Kaleb's taken care of that," Rebekah placed her hands on Elena's knees, "the only body she'll be possessing is her own." The pit of her stomach fell when another contraction hit the brunette.

"We need to take you to a hospital," Klaus wrapped an arm around her back. His eyes narrowed when Rebekah shook her head.

"I don't think there's time," she held the edge of the sheet and waited for Elena's nod. Closing her eyes she released a deep sigh and shook her head. "We can't move her; she's crowning."

"I'm sorry… what?" Klaus held Elena's hand and winced when she squeezed painfully.

"I can see the baby's head," Rebekah looked around. The only items she saw were laid out on an alter and she had no intention of touching those. "How long ago did she tell you to push?"

Rebekah shed her jacket and pulled off her black cardigan.

"I don't know," Elena gritted her teeth. Time had ceased to have any meaning a while ago.

"I'm thinking it's been some time," Rebekah folded her sweater. "Nik get behind her and support her back; Elena, I know you're in a lot of pain but I need you to scoot your hips forward."

"Why?" She leaned back into Klaus' chest and took his hands.

"Because you need to push," Rebekah took her hips and guided her forward. "On your next contraction bear down."

"No way to stop it?" Elena took shallow breaths.

"Not at this point," Rebekah shook her head.

"I can't do it," Elena tensed and strained with the contraction.

"Yes you can," Klaus moved pushed her sweaty hair back from her face. "There is very little you can't do, sweetheart."

* * *

Jeremy skidded to a stop at the cloth covered table and averted his eyes as Rebekah wrapped a soft black material around a squealing baby and lowered the sheet back over Elena's legs.

"That's more of my sister than I ever wanted to see."

"Jer?" Elena looked up from the small bundle being placed in her arms. Her brother only held his gaze for a moment before turning back to the baby.

"Hey," he waved.

"Hi," Elena murmured, but her attention was on the baby. Her finger gently moved the dark hair back.

"We rushed down…" Jeremy trailed off and looked at Rebekah. "She's not listening to me at all is she?"

"Nope," the blonde shook her head. Her eyes were trained on the wonderstruck expressions on the new parent's faces. "Nik," she took her brother's shoulder, "maybe we should take them to the hospital now."

* * *

"Elena," he took her elbow and gently pulled her from the back of the car, "you don't have to watch her sleep, sweetheart. The doctor said she was fine."

"I don't trust that doctor," she watched him unhook the car seat. "What if she stops breathing, or chokes when she's eating, or…"

Klaus pressed his fingers to her lips. Wrapping an arm around her waist he turned her to their little girl. She'd spent the first few days of her life in the NICU.

"She's perfectly healthy," he kissed Elena's temple. "The doctors were amazed at how healthy she is."

"Those doctors were pushing us out the door," Elena crossed her arms when he lifted the carrier.

"They were pushing us out the door because she is perfectly healthy," he closed the door and took her hand. "I'm pretty sure the only reason they kept her as long as they did was because you insisted."

"You were just as insistent at me," Elena walked with him up the stairs and into the house.

"For the first day," he opened the door and was immediately greeted with a grinning Rebekah. "They gave her a clean bill of health."

"Babies born that early can have health problems," Elena unfastened the straps holding her in place and lifted her sleeping child into her arms.

"She's not completely human, sweetheart," Klaus cupped the infant's cheek.

"I suppose not," Elena inhaled slowly and smiled, "but…"

"First sign of trouble I will personally pick her up and run to the hospital," Klaus swore. Nothing would have stopped him.

"Promise?" Elena met his eyes.

"You have my word," he smiled and kissed her quickly.

"Am I going to get to hold my niece?" Rebekah bounced on the balls of her feet.

"I don't know," Elena frowned, "am I going to get her back?"

"Don't do it 'Lena," Kol leaned on the banister, "Bex here is likely to run off with her."

"I'm not going to kidnap her," Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Out of everyone in this house I'm the only one that hasn't had a hand in a kidnapping attempt."

"I think you're forgetting Finn," Elena eased the baby into Rebekah's arms.

"Is this her then?" Kol leaned over his sister's shoulder; he and Elijah were the only ones who had yet to actually see the baby.

"No," Elena rolled her eyes, "this one's a loaner."

"I think she's mocking you," Davina came down stairs and covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. She leaned over Rebekah's other side and grinned down at the baby. "She looks bigger."

"She is a little bit," Elena crossed her arms and blinked tiredly.

"Come on love," Klaus steered her towards the stairs, "you need to get some sleep before she wakes up hungry." He reached for the baby.

"No," Rebekah shook her head and smiled. "I just got her; I'll bring her upstairs in a bit."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Klaus smirked from the steps.

"I will," Rebekah cooed, "she'll be hungry eventually and that's something I can't do for her."

* * *

When Elena opened her eyes a few hours later it was to see Klaus lifting their crying daughter from her bassinet. She sat up and held out her hands.

"Alright," Elena yawned, "what seems to be the problem?" She popped the top buttons of her shirt.

"Would you like some help, love?" Klaus chuckled. He took the baby so Elena could finish unbuttoning her shirt. "Here you go, Claire."

He positioned a pillow under Elena's arm to help her support the baby.

"You're listening…" she gasped when Claire started suckling. She wondered if she would ever get used to the tugging sensation.

"I've been listening to her heart since she was born," he held her arm when she flailed. "Your mum's a tad paranoid, sweetheart," he smiled when her fingers curled around his thumb.

"I'm paranoid?" She smirked. "You've been listening to her heart beat since she was born."

"Alright," he smiled and kissed Elena's cheek, "we're both paranoid."

"Much better," she nodded. Laying her head on his shoulder she watched Claire's blue eyes blink up at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I'll add more after this or not. I only intended to go until she had the baby, and i think i covered all of the major issues I brought in, Let me know if I missed anything. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Drop some reviews. I love getting them.


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